An English idiom meaning that it's easy for a fool to lose his money. This can be applied to people who spend their money quickly or to those who are taken advantage of by a scam artist. It was coined in the 1500s by Thomas Tussler, and has survived to the present. An alteration of this idiom is, "A fool and his money are easily parted."
Will Rogers added political humor with his statement that "A fool and his money are soon elected." Additionally, a website, Creative Wit, provides several witty alternatives to the standard idiom, including:
"A fool and his money are soon parted because he has more dollars than sense."
"A fool and his money are soon partying."
"A fool and his money are soon parted - especially with the government to expedite matters."
"A fool and his money are...Hey, where's my wallet?" (thanks to Timeshredder for sharing.)
The first part of the idiom, a fool and his money, became the title of a movie starring Sandra Bullock and Daniel Adams in 1995. The movie was a remake of an earlier movie of the same name. The phrase has also been used in essays about the stock market, budgeting and marketing.
Resources
Answers.com (2006), A fool and his money are soon parted, Retrieved September 23, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.answers.com/topic/a-fool-and-his-money-are-soon-parted
Creative Wit (2006), Creative Wit about A Fool and His Money, Retrieved September 23, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://creativewit.com/a_fool_and_his_money.html
Amazon.com (2006) A Fool and His Money Search Results, Retrieved September 23, 2006 from the World Wide Web: A fool and his money are soon parted - especially with the government to expedite matters. | 
