Creator: Victor Hugo, French poet and novelist; author of “Les Misérables” and “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” Context: Victor Hugo kept a diary for several decades during the 1800s. He published a volume titled “Choses Vues” (“Things Seen”) in 1887 based on portions of his diary. A section dated 1845 described Hugo’s meeting with educator and …
Yearly Archives: 2018
You Are One of My Nicest Thoughts
Georgia O’Keeffe? Roxana Robinson? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The influential American modernist painter Georgia O’Keeffe applied a lovely expression to a close friend. She called the person “one of my nicest thoughts”. Would you please help me to find a citation? Quote Investigator: Georgia O’Keeffe had a close relationship with her sister Catherine O’Keeffe Klenert. …
Strong People Always Have Strong Weaknesses Too
Peter Drucker? Wess Roberts? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: When selecting the head of an organization it is tempting to search for the perfect applicant who excels in everything, i.e., the mythical candidate without flaws. The following two statements provide a counterpoint perspective: Strong people have strong weaknesses, Strong chieftains always have strong weaknesses. This adage …
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Whoever Does Not Visit Paris Regularly Will Never Truly Be Elegant
Honoré de Balzac? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: In 2018 “The Guardian” newspaper published an article titled “Chanel shoes, but no salary: how one woman exposed the scandal of the French fashion industry” by Stefanie Marsh. The piece contained a fascinating quotation about the “City of Lights” ascribed to the famous French novelist Honoré de Balzac:[1]2018 …
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The Thing I Fear Most Is Being Mediocre. I Like To Excel
Gregory Peck? Jaime Escalante? Madonna Louise Ciccone? Jeff Smith? Robert Downey Jr.? Chet Atkins? Dear Quote Investigator: The fear of being mediocre activates a compulsion to achieve fame and excellence for some artists, performers, and educators. Would you please explore the people who expressed this notion? Quote Investigator: The desire to avoid mediocrity is present …
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Living Well Is the Best Revenge
Collector: Collected and published by George Herbert in 1640 Context: Perhaps you have suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. The adage above suggests that you should persevere to achieve success and enjoyment. In 1640 George Herbert’s compilation of “Outlandish Proverbs” appeared in London. Here is a small miscellaneous selection of expressions from the …
If You Can Keep Your Head When Everybody Round You Is Losing His, Then It Is Very Probable That You Don’t Understand the Situation
Rudyard Kipling? Elizabeth Ogden Smith? Bob Rigley? Jean Kerr? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The popular poem “If —” by the prominent literary figure Rudyard Kipling has often been parodied. The first lines extol the ability to remain levelheaded in situations where others are panicking. A comical twist suggests that the unflappable person probably does not …
What Is Matter?—Never Mind. What Is Mind?—No Matter
Creator: “Punch”, London humor magazine Context: On July 14, 1855 “Punch” published the following brief item containing the quotation:[1] 1855 July 14, Punch, Or the London Charivari, (Filler item), Quote Page 19, Column 2, London, England. (Google Books Full View) link A SHORT CUT TO METAPHYSICS. What is Matter?—Never mind. What is Mind?—No matter. Related …
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Sometimes I Sits and Thinks, and Sometimes I Just Sits
A. A. Milne? Satchel Paige? William Gunning King? Lucy Maud Montgomery? Alice G. Young? Woodrow Wilson? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: I enjoy relaxing and daydreaming, so I’ve always been attracted to the following saying: Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits. These words have been credited to the creator of Winnie the …
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I Have a Higher and Grander Standard of Principle. Washington Could Not Lie. I Can Lie, But I Won’t
Creator: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), famous humorist Context: Understanding the humor in the following passage requires familiarity with the cherry tree legend. A young Washington received a hatchet as a gift and impetuously chopped down a cherry tree owned by his father. When the future president was confronted he said “I cannot tell a lie. …