Raymond Chandler? James M. Cain? Alan Moore? William S. Burroughs? Larry Niven? Stephen King? Elmore Leonard? William Faulkner? Owen Sheers? Question for Quote Investigator: I have heard the following anecdote told about Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Stephen King, and Elmore Leonard. A journalist once visited the house of a popular author who had sold …
Yearly Archives: 2013
Quote Origin: A Statue Has Never Been Set Up in Honour of a Critic
Zig Ziglar? Jean Sibelius? Bengt de Törne? Martha Graham? Agnes De Mille? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: When the famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar died last year I saw a list of ten quotations ascribed to him. One was about criticism: There has never been a statue erected to honor a critic. I thought this …
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Quote Origin: All Actors Are Cattle
Alfred Hitchcock? Leonard Lyons? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Alfred Hitchcock was one of the greatest movie directors of the twentieth century in my opinion. A controversial quotation about actors has long been attributed to him: All actors are cattle. Did he really say this? Who was he speaking to? Reply from Quote Investigator: There …
Quote Origin: Don’t Tell Me the Moon Is Shining; Show Me the Glint of Light on Broken Glass
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 …
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 …