Eric Sevareid? Ernest Thompson? Paul Dickson? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Every solution to a problem inevitably creates a new problem. This ruefully defeatist viewpoint has inspired a logically twisted adage. Here are two versions: The real cause of problems is solutions. The chief cause of problems is solutions. This notion has been attributed to U.S. …
Tag Archives: Paul Dickson
Never Attempt To Teach a Pig To Sing; It Wastes Your Time and Annoys the Pig
Mark Twain? Robert Heinlein? Paul Dickson? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Teaching a pig to sing is a futile task that aggravates the porcine student according to a popular saying. Luminary Mark Twain and science fiction author Robert Heinlein have received credit for this adage. Would you please determine the accurate ascription and the original context? …
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Never Go To a Doctor Whose Office Plants Have Died
Erma Bombeck? Paul Dickson? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Recently, while sitting in the waiting room of a medical office I noticed that the potted plants were in dire condition. This was a bad omen, and I vaguely recall a joke about this situation. Can you help? Quote Investigator: The humorist Erma Bombeck wrote a widely …
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