Charles Alexandre de Calonne? Lady Aberdeen? George Santayana? Fridtjof Nansen? Nicolas Beaujon? Baron de Breteuil? Mrs. William Tilton? Dear Quote Investigator: There exists a family of entertaining sayings that cheerfully displays inordinate confidence: 1) If the thing be possible, it is already done; if impossible, it shall be done. 2) If it is simply difficult, …
Monthly Archives: June 2015
When a Good Old Good Note Is Blown, All the Cats Dig It
Louis Armstrong? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The renowned jazz trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong believed in the universality of musical appeal. I think he once said: When a good note’s blown, all the cats dig it. The underlying challenge of this adage is to remain open to the appreciation of multiple musical styles and genres. …
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One Would Risk Being Disgusted If One Saw Politics, Justice, or One’s Dinner in the Making
Nicolas Chamfort? Marchand? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: You have previously examined a well-known comment comparing the construction of laws and sausages: Laws are like sausages. It’s better not to see them being made. I believe that a similar remark was made earlier by the Frenchman Nicolas Chamfort comparing justice and meals, but I have not …
The Race Is Not Always to the Swift, Nor the Battle to the Strong; But That Is the Best Way to Bet
Damon Runyon? Franklin P. Adams? Hugh E. Keough? George D. Prentice? Luke McLuke? Grantland Rice? Burns Mantle? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A famous verse in the Bible instructs readers that the advantages enjoyed by an individual do not guarantee his or her success:[1]Website: Bible Hub, Bible Translation: King James Bible, Section: Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9, Verse …
I Disapprove of What You Say, But I Will Defend to the Death Your Right to Say It
Voltaire? François-Marie Arouet? S. G. Tallentyre? Evelyn Beatrice Hall? Ignazio Silone? Douglas Young? Norbert Guterman? Dear Quote Investigator: Would you please explore a famous saying that apparently has been misattributed to Voltaire: I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. The words above reportedly originated …
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