way, it's easier to exploit them the next time.
         Neelix, "False Profits"
   ?. One person's secret is another person's opportunity.
       Quark, Devil in the Sky
   ?. You can tell a great deal about a man from his shoes.
       Merchant, "False Profits"
   ?. Time's an asset.
       Merchant, "False Profits"
   ?. Your goods are now my goods.
       Merchant, "False Profits"
   ?. Exploitation begins at home.
       Arridor and the Sandalmaker, "False Profits"
   ?. When you see a good deal, jump on it.
       Quark, Saratoga
   ?. A Ferengi without a head for business has no future.
       Nog, Saratoga
   ?. Business is business, even among friends.
       Odo, Saratoga
   (**). When no appropriate Rule applies, make one up.  (The unwritten rule)
       [Example: When the messenger comes to appropriate your profits,
       kill the messenger.]
       Arridor, "False Profits"
About the Rules
   We know from Quark ("The Maquis, Part I") and from Pel ("Rules of
Acquisition") that there are 285 Rules of Acquisition. According to Kol
(Voyager's "False Profits"), there have been 285 since at least stardate 
43000.
   As of stardate 43000, there were 47 commentaries, 900 major and minor
adjustments, and over 10,000 considered opinions (Voyager's "False Profits"),
though the Ferengi government was debating another amendment as of stardate
47829 (TNG's "Bloodlines").
Notes on specific Rules
 
(*).   The second Rules numbered 1, 10, 21, 22, and 285, and the Rule listed
as number 23, are the Grand Nagus' revised Rules in "Prophet Motive". These
revised Rules were never officially released.
   In the hardcover novel Federation, a Romulan Bird-of-Prey owned by Ferengi
was named "The 62nd Rule". This was in the third season of TNG, and Data did
not understand the reference, so it is likely that the Federation did not 
now
much about Ferengi culture until later.
   Pel may have invented what she said for the Rule #103.
   The omission of Rules 112 and 113 was necessary to maintain the
family-friendliness of this website.
   Tunk misidentified Rule 191 as 184.
   Quark wasn't certain of the number for the Rule listed as 194.
   Quark may have been referring to Rule 219 in "The Abandoned" when someone
asked him if there was a Rule about checking merchandise before buying it.
   Quark mentioned Rule #243 in "Profit and Loss", though he did not quote 
he
text of the Rule.
Other Notes
   The above listing of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition were compiled from
three different lists that are currently available. As yet, not all of them
have been completely confirmed and some of the duplication may be coming from
confusion of the writers of the Star Trek series, novels and comics. They are
all listed nevertheless and will be deleted or renumbered as the case may be.
It is not meant to intentionally mislead anyone but to present the very best
list of the Rules of Acquisition to date, however inaccurate it might be by
Ferengi standards. If there are any true believer Ferengis that can clarify
the Rules of Acquisition further, by all means, please do so.
 
   Pocket Books printed a book called The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition which
included most of the Rules from the series and added many more. This source 
s
listed here as simply Rules.
   The most recent list of added Rules is from the Internet Competition, "The
Rules of Netquisition". This contest was originally run in the Spring of 1994
on the rec.arts.startrek.current newsgroup. 21 Rules were taken from that
competition to be included in this list. The contest was run again in the
Spring of 1996, and 19 Rules were taken from that competition.
   Q. Why did Quark travel back in time to 15th century Spain?
   A. He wanted to learn the Rules of Inquisition. :-)
--- FMail 1.02
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