Abraham Lincoln? W. H. Alexander? Wood Cutter? Lumberjack? Woodsman? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Rigorous preparation is the key to success for many endeavors. There is a popular saying attributed to Abraham Lincoln about planning and executing tasks. Here are three versions: If I had four hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend …
Yearly Archives: 2014
Quote Origin: A Person Has Two Reasons for Doing Anything: A Good Reason and the Real Reason
John Pierpont Morgan? Theodore Roosevelt? Mrs. Walter B. Helm? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a wonderful quotation about the true motivations that guide the actions of people. I have seen a few different versions: A person usually has two reasons for doing something: a good reason and the real reason. A man always …
Quote Origin: That Is Part of the Beauty of All Literature. You Discover that Your Longings Are Universal Longings
F. Scott Fitzgerald? Sheilah Graham? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Recently, on the blog of a teacher I saw a quotation about the humanities that was attributed to one of the best American writers of the previous century. It began: That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are …
Quote Origin: Don’t Just Do Something; Stand There
Elvis Presley? Dwight D. Eisenhower? The White Rabbit? Clint Eastwood? Martin Gabel? Adlai Stevenson? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Some humorous quotations are created by cleverly transforming prosaic expressions. Most people are familiar with the exhortation: Don’t just stand there, do something. However, occasionally inaction is preferable, and the following rearranged sentence has been employed: …
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Quote Origin: Words and Pictures Are Yin and Yang
Theodor Seuss Geisel? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The enormous success of Theodor Geisel, i.e., Dr. Seuss was due to his extraordinary ability to combine vibrant storytelling with creative illustrations. The following perceptive statement is attributed to him: Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent. …
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Quote Origin: Written Without Fear and Without Research
Dorothy Parker? Carl L. Becker? Thomas Reed Powell? Charles A. Beard? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The famous wit Dorothy Parker wrote book reviews containing memorable zingers. When she examined a scientific volume she reportedly wrote the following: This work was written without fear and without research. I have not been able to determine when …
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Quote Origin: The Male Libido is Like Being Chained to a Madman
Socrates? Sophocles? Plato? Cephalus? Russell Brand? David Niven? Kingsley Amis? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: There is an ancient and provocative simile that helps to explicate the irrational actions of infatuated males: The male libido is like being chained to a madman. To have a penis is to be chained to a madman. These words …
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Quote Origin: There Is No Greater Mistake than To Try To Leap an Abyss in Two Jumps
David Lloyd George? Ambrose Bierce? Garry Davis? Arianna Huffington? Benjamin Disraeli? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Arianna Huffington who is well-known for creating the website “The Huffington Post” once employed a vivid and astute saying about commitment and the need to take decisive actions: You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps. She attributed …
Quote Origin: The Jawbone of an Ass
Oscar Wilde? Lord Paget? Henry Watterson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: In modern times a philistine is an uncultured anti-intellectual. In the Bible the Philistine people were enemies of the Israelites. Samson successfully fought against an army of Philistines while wielding the jawbone of an ass (donkey) as a devastating weapon. This background information allows …
Quote Origin: We Don’t See Things As They Are, We See Them As We Are
Anaïs Nin? Babylonian Talmud? Immanuel Kant? G. T. W. Patrick? H. M. Tomlinson? Steven Covey? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Our preconceptions can dramatically alter the way we perceive the world. There is a saying attributed to the prominent writer Anaïs Nin that reflects this idea: We don’t see things as they are; we see …
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