Yogi Berra? Albert Einstein? Richard Feynman? Benjamin Brewster? Charles F. Kettering? Walter J. Savitch? Jan L. A. van de Snepscheut? Dave Jeske? Chuck Reid? Dear Quote Investigator: The following popular adage balances unsteadily between brilliance and absurdity: In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not. This notion has been attributed …
Yearly Archives: 2018
What Might Have Happened, If That Which Did Happen, Had Not Happened, I Cannot Undertake To Say
Lord Palmerston? George Ward Nichols? John Moncure? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Describing a counterfactual world typically requires a comically twisted statement: What would have happened if what did happen had not happened? These words have been attributed to British statesman Lord Palmerston, but I have been unable to find a citation. Would you please help? …
Any Success in Life Is Made by Going into an Area with a Blind, Furious Optimism
Sylvester Stallone? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Dreamers with visions of riches and success were recently encouraged by advertisements to attend a “Wealth Expo” held in Toronto which covered the topics of real estate and bitcoin. I saw a sign with a motivational quotation attributed to the Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone who was one of the …
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Ballot Box, Jury Box, Cartridge Box
Frederick Douglass? Stephen Decatur Miller? Woody Jenkins? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: A prominent public speaker once asserted that the preservation of liberty depended on three boxes: The ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box. This statement employed metonymy: the “ballot box” referred to input from the populace via the electoral process; the “jury …
Like Blackbirds on a Telephone Line: As One Flies Away They All Fly Away, When One Comes Back, They All Come Back
Eugene J. McCarthy? Shana Alexander? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Leading journalists often display a surprising uniformity of judgement. An exasperated politician referred to reporters as birds who flocked together when deciding whether to alight on a telephone wire. Would you please explore this figurative expression? Quote Investigator: In February 1963 U.S. Senator Eugene J. McCarthy …
I Don’t Want To Elect Anyone Stupid Enough To Want the Job
Erma Bombeck? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The age of social media has exacerbated political antagonisms. A sardonic comedian once claimed that no person foolish enough to run for a high political office could be worthy of a vote. I hope high-quality candidates ignore this facetious viewpoint, but it is difficult to discount. Would you please …
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A Diplomat Is a Person Who Can Tell You To Go To Hell in Such a Tactful Way That You’ll Look Forward with Pleasure To Making the Trip
Winston Churchill? Caskie Stinnett? Gary Knafelc? Vince Lombardi? Viola Layne? Earl Wilson? Joe Williams? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Diplomacy is a difficult profession that rewards sensitivity and great verbal dexterity. The following witticism has been credited to travel writer and humorist Caskie Stinnett: A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to …
In Three Words, I Can Sum Up Everything I’ve Learned About Life. It Goes On
Robert Frost? Edna St. Vincent Millay? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The acclaimed American poet Robert Frost was asked as an octogenarian what he had learned about life, and he succinctly replied: It goes on. I have been unable to find a contemporaneous citation, and a popular quotation website says that the attribution is disputed. What …
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Coolidge Effect
Calvin Coolidge? Frank A. Beach? Lisbeth Jordan? Robert E. Whalen? Elliot Liebow? Dear Quote Investigator: The scientific literature on animal behavior contains the term “Coolidge Effect” which apparently was inspired by a ribald anecdote about Calvin Coolidge and his wife Grace. Would you please explore the provenance of this term and the accompanying story? Quote …
Hitchcock Is a Gentleman Farmer Who Raises Gooseflesh
Ingrid Bergman? Alfred Hitchcock? Stephen King? Stefan Kanfer? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: I once heard a remarkably apt description of a director who created horror films: That auteur is a farmer who raises gooseflesh. Gooseflesh is also referred to as goose bumps or horripilation. Would you please tell me the name of the director and …
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