Tracing Quotations
Mark Twain? Madame de Sévigné? Madame Roland? Alphonse de Lamartine? Alphonse Toussenel? Louise de la Rameé? Alfred D’Orsay? Thomas Carlyle? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A popular expression combines disappointment with humanity together with praise for canines. Here are four versions: These words have been attributed to Mark Twain and Alphonse Toussenel. Would you please …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The More I Know About People, the Better I Like Dogs”
Ahmed Zaki Yamani? Don Huberts? Nader H. Sultan? Andrew Hoskinson? Jeroen van der Veer? Thomas Friedman? William McDonough? Question for Quote Investigator: A recent presentation about advances in renewable energy emphasized the dramatic cost reductions occurring in solar and wind power. The speaker argued that reliance on fossil fuels would decrease substantially in the future. …
Speaker: Julie Burchill? Elizabeth Bowen? Ezra Klein? Paul Krugman? Andrew Sullivan? Hermione Eyre? William Donaldson? Target: Stephen Fry? Aldous Huxley? Dick Armey? Newt Gingrich? Question for Quote Investigator: Recently, I heard an uncomplimentary quip applied to an intellectual. Here are three versions: Would you please help me to trace this expression? Reply from Quote Investigator: …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Stupid Person’s Idea of the Clever Person”
Johnny Carson? Kenneth Tynan? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The late-night talk-show host Johnny Carson was one of the most successful entertainers in U.S. history. He spent thirty years as the star of “The Tonight Show” on the NBC television network. Before he embraced the celebrated nocturnal hosting duties he held nine different jobs. That …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Never Continue in a Job You Don’t Enjoy”
Frederik Pohl? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Frederik Pohl was an influential award-winning science-fiction author and editor. Apparently, Pohl’s Law states: Nothing is so good that somebody somewhere won’t hate it. Would you please examine this linkage? Reply from Quote Investigator: Multiple statements have been labeled “Pohl’s Law” over the years. In 1966 Pohl was …
Continue reading “Pohl’s Law Origin: Nothing Is So Good that Somebody Somewhere Won’t Hate It”