Tracing Quotations
Marilyn Monroe? Bette Midler? Anonymous? Apocryphal? Quote Investigator: There is a picture on several Pinterest pinboards and Tumblrs that shows a young girl walking in oversized shoes with the following quotation superimposed on the image Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world. —Marilyn Monroe A recent article on the Buzzfeed …
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William Shakespeare? Arrigo Boito? Jeane Westin? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: I have a question about a quotation depicting communication between lovers. The following words are often ascribed to William Shakespeare: When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew. Sometimes the play Romeo and Juliet is named as the source, …
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John Lennon? Charles Schulz? Goldie Hawn? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Did musical superstar John Lennon really tell the following story about his childhood? When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when …
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Socrates? Dan Millman? All-Night Gas-Station Attendant? Nick Nolte? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: A friend recently offered me a piece of advice that he thought reflected ancient wisdom: The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. These words were attributed to Socrates, but …
Warren Buffett? Frank Fellinger? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The funniest and most perceptive comment about the precious metal gold is attributed to the super-investor Warren Buffett: Gold gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or some place. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand …
Joseph Campbell? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Joseph Campbell was renowned for teaching about the mythologies of many cultures. The following statement is often ascribed to him: The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. I have looked through several of his books and have not located this quote. Did he say or …
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Walt Disney? Diane Disney Miller? Pete Martin? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Animator, producer, and entrepreneur Walt Disney suffered many setbacks before he became a world-famous entertainer. For example, he founded the Laugh-O-Gram company to make animated films in Missouri, and the pioneering studio ended up in bankruptcy. Disney learned from his mistakes and persevered, and …
Continue reading “A Kick in the Teeth May Be the Best Thing in the World for You”
Noah Webster? Samuel Johnson? Chauncey Depew? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a ribald anecdote about one of the world’s greatest dictionary makers that I would like you to explore. The tale claims that the lexicographer Noah Webster had a secret libertine inclination. One day his wife returned home and was shocked to discover him …
Marcus Tullius Cicero? Taylor Caldwell? Otto E. Passman? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: In 2011 a host on the cable channel CNN said this: Is America still the land of opportunity, or is it Rome before the fall? You decide. Cicero is believed to have said something like this in 55 B.C. “The arrogance of …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Budget Should Be Balanced; The Treasury Should Be Refilled”
Judge Dowdall? William Pickford? Lord Sterndale? Anonymous? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Some lawyers take pride in their use of rigorous logical and legal reasoning. I once heard a hilarious remark about the body of law accumulated over the centuries. I do not remember the exact wording, but it was something like this: The entire body …