Tracing Quotations
Agatha Christie? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The acclaimed mystery writer Agatha Christie wrote more than sixty novels and sold an enormous number of copies. Yet, I was told that somewhere she had claimed that writing was agony for her. Is this possible? Would you please examine this question? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1977 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Starting To Write a Book: There Is No Agony Like It”
Henry Ford? G. K. Chesterton? Charles Zueblin? Franklin Minor? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The automotive titan Henry Ford reportedly crafted a humorous and insightful remark about thinking. Here are three versions: 1) Thinking is hard work. That may be the reason so few engage in it. 2) Thinking is the hardest work there is, …
George Bernard Shaw? Mallory Browne? Raymond Gram Swing? Oscar Wilde? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The influential Irish playwright and commentator George Bernard Shaw has been credited with a humorous remark about language. Here are four versions: 1) Britain and America are two nations divided by a common language.2) The English and Americans are two …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Britain and America Are Two Nations Divided by a Common Language”
John Dewey? William F. Russell? Helena Weatherby? Thomas A. Harris? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Thinking thoroughly about a topic is a difficult and painstaking task. Many people prefer quick and easy answers that can be selected with minimal thought. Yet sometimes people face obstacles that require careful cogitation. The famous philosopher and teacher John …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: We Only Think When We Are Confronted With a Problem”
Henry Ward Beecher? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Are you familiar with the amusing anecdote about an “April Fool” letter sent to the famous orator Henry Ward Beecher. Would you please examine the tale’s provenance? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest evidence known to QI was published on April 27, 1870 in the “Daily Evening …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Signed His Name With April Fool and Forgot to Write the Letter”
Marston Bates? Barstow Bates? Plutarch? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A path-breaking researcher must pursue many leads that do not work out. Sometimes he or she must exhaustively test a set of possibilities with the foreknowledge that only a handful will yield positive results. That is why I embrace the following insightful saying: Research is …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Research Is the Process of Going Up Alleys to See If They’re Blind”
Ninon de Lenclos? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Ninon de Lenclos (also L’enclos) was a famous French author and courtesan who died in 1705. Her friends valued her perceptiveness, and one man asked her for guidance because he was infatuated with his paramour. Lenclos warned that his ardor would cool if he spent too much …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Love Never Dies of Starvation, But Often of Indigestion”
Gelett Burgess? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Anyone who wishes to remain intellectually vital must be willing to challenge his or her own opinions. Viewpoints should evolve and flawed notions should be replaced. I came across the following cogent expression: If in the last few years you haven’t discarded a major opinion or acquired …
George Bernard Shaw? Oscar Wilde? Cecile Starr? Billy Wilder? Richard Pryor? James L. Brooks? Dustin Hoffman? Charles Ludlam? Question for Quote Investigator: Dramatists have discovered that challenging material often elicits hostility or boredom. This is dangerous for creators because jobs in the entertainment industry are precarious. Yet, a provocative production leavened with humor is often …
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? William D. Smith? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The prominent German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe has been credited with the following group of expressions called: The Nine Requisites for Contented Living: (1) Health enough to make work a pleasure.(2) Wealth enough to support your needs.(3) Strength to battle with difficulties …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Nine Requisites for Contented Living”