Anton Chekhov? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Recently I was reading a collection of writing tips designed for neophyte scribblers, and I came across a valuable piece of advice that was attributed to Anton Chekhov: Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. I have seen this …
Monthly Archives: July 2013
Quote Origin: When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It
Yogi Berra? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Yogi Berra was a brilliant baseball player and manager. He is also famous for his comically wise sayings which are known as ‘Yogiisms’. This is my favorite on the topic of making decisions: When you come to a fork in the road, take it. Is this an authentic …
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Quote Origin: I Never Think of the Future. It Comes Soon Enough
Albert Einstein? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The following saying is attributed to the scientific genius Albert Einstein: I never think of the future – it comes soon enough. Did he really say this? When did he say it? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest evidence of this saying located by QI was printed in …
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Quote Origin: Count Your Age by Friends, Not Years. Count Your Life by Smiles, Not Tears
John Lennon? Birthday Card? Dixie Lee Crosby? Dixie Willson? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I am a big fan of the Beatles, and I think I have a good mental picture of my favorite band member, John Lennon. The following popular pair of statements is often credited to Lennon, but I think the attribution is …
Quote Origin: Teach a Parrot to Say ‘Supply and Demand’ and You Have an Economist
Thomas Carlyle? Irving Fisher? Joseph Schumpeter? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a humorous saying about parrots and economists that is often attributed to the philosopher and satirist Thomas Carlyle. Sometimes the joke is simply ascribed to Anonymous. Here are three versions: 1: Teach a parrot the terms ‘supply and demand’ and you’ve got …
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Quote Origin: There’s a Way To Do It Better—Find It
Thomas Edison? David Sarnoff? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I saw the following quotation on the website of a medical school with a strong history of innovation: There’s a way to do it better — find it. The words were attributed to the inventor and research laboratory pioneer Thomas A. Edison. I also saw an …
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Quote Origin: The Chains of Habit Are Too Light To Be Felt Until They Are Too Heavy To Be Broken
Warren Buffett? Samuel Johnson? Maria Edgeworth? Bertrand Russell? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I recall seeing a lecture by the famed investor Warren Buffett during which he cautioned his audience to avoid falling into self-destructive behavior patterns. He used this eloquent analysis: The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are …
Quote Origin: My Only Regret Is That I Have Not Drunk More Champagne In My Life
John Maynard Keynes? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Quotations that were supposedly spoken by famous people shortly before death are notoriously unreliable. I heard that the prominent economist John Maynard Keynes on his deathbed was asked whether he had any regrets, and he said something like: I should have drunk more champagne. I only wish …
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Quote Origin: Don’t Keep Forever on the Public Road. Leave the Beaten Track Behind Occasionally and Dive Into the Woods
Alexander Graham Bell? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The brilliant inventor Alexander Graham Bell helped to create the first practical telephone. He is often credited with the following inspiring statement: Don’t keep forever on the public road. Leave the beaten track behind occasionally and dive into the woods. You will be certain to find something …
Quote Origin: For Attractive Lips, Speak Words of Kindness
Audrey Hepburn? Sam Levenson? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Audrey Hepburn was a magnificent movie star, and she was also a well-known worker for humanitarian causes. On various websites I have seen a collection of sayings called “Time Tested Beauty Tips” that have been attributed to her. The first tip says: For attractive lips, speak …
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