believe it or not

Appearances to the contrary, it is true. Already a com- mon phrase by then, in December 1918, it became the title of a cartoon series originally drawn by Robert LeRoy Ripley (1893–1949). It appeared in American newspapers for many years and was continued even after Rip- ley’s death. Each drawing represented a seemingly unbelievable but allegedly true event or phenomenon, such as a two-headed chicken or a three-legged cat.