Tracing Quotations
John Maynard Keynes? George Patton? Samuel Harries Daddow? Benjamin Bannan? Henry Smith? S. H. Monell? Thomas Brackett Reed? Thomas Alan Goldsborough? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A brilliant figure of speech has been employed to describe the performance of a futile or counter-productive task. Here are two versions: (1) You cannot push on a string.(2) …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: You Cannot Push On a String (Or a Rope)”
Satchel Paige? Wayne W. Dyer? Clarence H. Wilson? Wallace R. Farrington? G. Herbert True? Ruth Gordon? Garson Kanin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: It is foolish to place restrictive limits on oneself solely based on age. Most activities can be pursued at any age. This viewpoint is encouraged by an inquiry designed for self-reflection. Here …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: How Old Would You Be If You Didn’t Know How Old You Are?”
Hester Lynch Piozzi? William James? Bertrand Russell? Mark Twain? Henry David Thoreau? Carl Sagan? Terry Pratchett? Samuel Purchas? John Locke? George B. Cheever? Joseph F. Berg? George Chainey? John Phoenix? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: According to legend a prominent scientist once presented a lecture on cosmology which discussed the solar system and galaxies. Afterwards, …
Alice Roosevelt Longworth? Marie Corelli? Jane Burr? Rose Guggenheim Winslow? Nancy Hale? Ruth Hanna McCormick? Walter Winchell? Ethel Barrymore? Grace Hodgson Flandrau? Question for Quote Investigator: A U.S. politician running for president was once described as a “little man on a wedding cake” and a “bridegroom on the wedding cake”. This ridicule harmed his campaign, …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Like a Little Bridegroom On a Wedding Cake”
Arthur James Balfour? Batman? Oscar Wilde? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Apparently, the crime-fighting superhero Batman is a quotation expert. I recall watching a rerun episode of the 1960s television series during which Batman was asked to identify the creator of an obscure quotation about biography, and he immediately answered correctly with the name Arthur …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: A Person’s Biography Should Be Written by an Acute Enemy”
Albert Einstein? Florence Griffith Joyner? Thomas Edison? Louise Chandler Moulton? Mike Ditka? Elmer Burritt Bryan? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The following motivational remark has been attributed to the famous scientist Albert Einstein: You never fail until you stop trying. This saying has also been credited to the Olympic-medal-winning athlete Florence Griffith Joyner and the …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: You Never Fail Until You Stop Trying”
Mohandas Gandhi? Charles E. Garst? Laura DeLany Garst? Jerome D. Davis? Karl Quimby? Deton J. Brooks? Harold Ehrensperger? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A visitor once met with a revered leader and asked for guidance: “Do you have a message for the people?” “My life is my message.” This reply has been attributed to Mahatma …
Donald Barthelme? Fannie Hurst? Gore Vidal? Question for Quote Investigator: A wide variety of sayings have employed the following template: You may not be interested in X, but X is interested in you. Different terms have been substituted for X including: war, politics, dialectic, and strategy. In addition, variant templates have occurred: We may not …
Donald Barthelme? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: When I was a young child I found the number of books in my local library overwhelming. I wondered how one could find the time to read so many books? When I was a slightly older child, I concluded that there were a enormous number that you don’t …
Maya Angelou? Bertha Flowers? Bill Moyers? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Rhyme and rhythm often produce a lovely euphony in poems. This notion has been expressed as follows: Poetry is music written for the human voice. These words have been attributed to Renaissance woman Maya Angelou, but some people assert that she disclaimed credit. Would …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Poetry Is Music Written for the Human Voice”