I always find the term "fool" sits uneasy. I don't want a spectator to be made to look or feel foolish
I know magicians use the term in a specific way and in a particular context but I don't like it
Just my two pence worth

In the magic context..how is "fooled" different from "deceived"? I have literally and without exaggeration had spectator's say, "Wow..you fooled me!" I can't remember ever having anyone say that I deceived them.

Personally, I find a much greater negative connotation to "deceived" than "fooled". The former is the misdirection of the Pick Pocket and the latter the fantasy of the 'magician'. To me....

""fooling" is done with the eager consent of the spectator". ... love this quote from Dana.

This nuanced definition of fooling seems to be particular to magic. No one likes to be fooled by being "conned" out of their money; but take (betting) money out of the equation, eg a shell and pea magic routine, and it takes a different connotation. As spectators of magic, we eagerly pay to be fooled....and of course, astonished! There are nuances in all this, of course. Sometimes a comedian's "roast" can be either very cruel or very hearfelt. And I've seen a few magic performances which have been close to being cruel to a spectator (which is why some magicians no longer do the trick of stealing a woman's bra). On the other hand, the paper balls over the shoulder trick kind of makes a 'fool' out of the spectator... but what person would walk away feeling bad? Indeed, they had been part of the magic act! Lynn

I think it is in Strong Magic that Ortiz describes a fundamental difference between fooling a magician and a layman. I will sum it up in my own words...

If a magician can figure out 99% of a trick, but 1% eludes him, he is fooled. However, if a spectator sees 1% of how it works, the deception is lost.

Magicians have to know how it all works. A spectator's suspension of disbelief is lost when they see anything that gives the trick away. Something to consider!

If I don't fool you, I am not doing my job as a magician. If I make you feel foolish, I am not doing my job as a human being."
- Jerry Andrus

That's a quote worth being framed on a wall! Lynn

I just use it in the way which means "hold the Ace of Spades tightly but BAM it became the Ace of Hearts! Did you see when it changed or did it fool you?"