Winston Churchill? Harry Truman? Chinese Adage? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Anyone who was sitting atop a tiger would have a difficult time dismounting safely. Apparently, this scenario has been employed metaphorically by the political leaders Winston Churchill and Harry Truman. Would you please explore this topic? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1937 Winston Churchill …
Monthly Archives: February 2017
Quote Origin: Life is a Tragedy when Seen in Closeup, But a Comedy in Longshot
Charlie Chaplin? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The cinema icon Charlie Chaplin depicted comic and tragic situations in his films, and he also experienced both in his personal life. One of his memorable quotations metaphorically employed the film director terms closeup and longshot to contrast tragedy and comedy. Would you help me to find a …
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Quote Origin: Two Kinds of Fools: This Is Old, Therefore It Is Good. This Is New, Therefore It Is Better
William Ralph Inge? John Brunner? Bishop of Ripon? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There are two different types of fools. One naively embraces and extolls everything that is old; the other credulously praises everything that is new. This insight has been ascribed to William Ralph Inge who was a professor at Cambridge and Dean of …