Norman Borlaug? John Boyd Orr? George C. Marshall? Dear Quote Investigator: Human deprivation engenders unrest, violence, and war. The following saying has been credited to Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, an agronomist who contributed to large increases in agricultural productivity: You can’t build peace on empty stomachs. The statement has also been attributed to Nobel laureate …
Yearly Archives: 2018
I Don’t Trust Nature. Out There Things Can Fall On You, Like Meteors or Manna
Robert Benchley? Arthur Loeb Mayer? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The popular humorist and actor Robert Benchley has been credited with the following response to a colleague who desired company during exercise: Go jogging? What, and get hit by a meteor? Benchley died in 1945; hence, this scenario appears anachronistic. Would you please help determine what …
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Hollywood Is the Only Place Where You Can Die of Encouragement
Dorothy Parker? Pauline Kael? Dear Quote Investigator: The decision to greenlight a movie in Hollywood is complicated and protracted. Those eager to make films experience a mixture of encouragement, uncertainty, delays, and heartbreak. Here are two versions of a germane witticism: Hollywood is the one place on earth where you could die of encouragement. Hollywood …
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Quote Origin: The Greatest Trick the Devil Ever Pulled Was Convincing the World He Didn’t Exist
Christopher McQuarrie? Charles Baudelaire? Kevin Spacey? Verbal Kint? Keyser Söze? John Wilkinson? William Ramsey? John Fletcher Hurst? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The 1995 movie “The Usual Suspects” contains a memorable line spoken by a guileful character about the existence or non-existence of the Devil. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the …
Risk Comes from Not Knowing What You’re Doing
Warren Buffett? Jim Rasmussen? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The investment record of Warren Buffett has been astonishingly successful. His reputation for sagacity means that his tongue can transform a prosaic remark into an adage of wry plainspoken wisdom such as the following: Risk comes from not knowing what you’re going. I have seen low quality …
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If I Call It Art, It’s Art; or If I Hang It in a Museum, It’s Art
Marcel Duchamp? Janet Malcolm? Raul Gamboa? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The artist provocateur Marcel Duchamp proclaimed that he could transform a prosaic object into an objet d’art worthy of display in a museum. He famously accomplished this feat with a urinal he dubbed “Fountain” in 1917. See the picture above. Would you please help me …
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“Where Should One Use Perfume?” “Wherever One Wants To Be Kissed”
Coco Chanel? Arlene Dahl? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The brilliant fashion luminary Coco Chanel was once asked about the proper application of fragrance to the body, and she gave an entertaining reply about osculation. Would you please help me to find a citation? Quote Investigator: The earliest evidence located by QI appeared as a short …
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That Common Cold of the Male Psyche, Fear of Commitment
Richard Schickel? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The film historian and critic Richard Schickel asserted that men’s refusal to commit to relationships is as prevalent as the common cold. Would you please help me to find the exact phrasing and a citation? Quote Investigator: In 1983 Richard Schickel reviewed the movie “Terms of Endearment” in “Time” …
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It’s Not Quite True I Had Nothing On: The Radio Was On
Marilyn Monroe? Sheilah Graham? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Beauty icon Marilyn Monroe’s film career was jeopardized in the 1950s when scandal-mongers reported on her past as a risqué calendar model. Interestingly, her popularity and fame actually grew. When she was questioned about the calendar she responded with a clever and hilarious remark about a radio. …
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Information Wants To Be Expensive. Information Wants To Be Free
Stewart Brand? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Revenues in the recorded music industry and the advertiser-supported newspaper business have collapsed in the past twenty years. I am reminded of the following provocative remark: Information wants to be free. Apparently, this is only part of a larger quotation. Would you please explore the provenance of these words? …
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