Tracing Quotations
John A. Shedd? Grace Hopper? Albert Einstein? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: On December 9, 2013 the Google Doodle honored the pioneering computer scientist and U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper. Here are two versions of a quotation that is often attributed to her: A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: A Ship in Harbor Is Safe, But that Is Not What Ships Are Built For”
Miriam Hopkins? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: While watching the television show “The Voice” a friend told me about an entertaining zinger. One singer was trying to impress another singer by describing an insurance policy: Singer 1: “I Insured My Voice for One Million Dollars.” Singer 2: “Wonderful! What Did You Do with the Money?” …
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The following quotation about the value of exercise is attributed to the transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson: When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I searched for this expression in a database of …
Harry Truman? A. C. Wilson? Adolf Hitler? Richard H. Leask? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The following maxim is attributed to President Harry Truman: If you can’t convince them, confuse them Did Truman really say this? It seems inconsistent with his personality because he was often lauded for being plain spoken and not dissimulating. Reply …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: If You Can’t Convince Them, Confuse Them”