ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Morton's Fork." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 18, 2010). Morton's Fork ? Dictionary definition of Morton's Fork | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary
Hmmm, seems Hobson's choice is slightly different - and older! Etymology After Thomas Hobson (1544?-1630), English keeper of a livery stable, from his requirement that customers take either the horse nearest the stable door or none. Notes Hobson had some 40 animals in his rent-a-horse business and a straightforward system: a returning horse goes to the end of the line, and the horse at the top of the line gets to serve next. He had good intentions -- rotating horses so his steeds received good rest and an equal wear, but his heavy-handed enforcement of the policy didn't earn him any customer service stars. He could have offered his clients the option of choosing one of the two horses nearest the stable door, for instance, and still achieve nearly the same goal. More recently Henry Ford offered customers a Ford Model T in any color as long as it was black.
well they say never look a rented horse in the mouth... But I have seen a T-Shirt that says Spooning leads to Forking...Whether that if Forking Morton...IDK