A half truth, like half a brick, is always more forcible as an argument than a whole one. It carries better.

Leacock’s epigram satirizes how persuasion often rewards distortion. A “half truth” is compared to “half a brick”: not a complete, balanced account, but a compact, weapon-like object that can be thrown. The joke points to a serious rhetorical insight—partial facts, stripped of nuance and counterevidence, can feel clearer, simpler, and therefore more convincing than the full complexity of reality. By implying that incompleteness increases “force,” Leacock critiques public argument, politics, and journalism, where selective framing can outperform honesty. The line also warns readers to be wary of arguments that seem unusually punchy or easy to grasp: their effectiveness may come from omission rather than accuracy.