The title references an anecdote told in 1992 by writer Arthur C. Clarke in a letter to the humorist John Robert Colombo
about Ernest Hemingway's creativity. They were lunching with other writers at Lüchow's (or the Algonquin) in New York City, and Hemingway bets the table 10 dollars each that he can craft a story in six words. After the money pot is assembled, Hemingway writes six words on a napkin, passes it around, and collects his winnings. He had written: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn".