Tracing Quotations
George Bernard Shaw? John Bowring? John Browning? John Bouring? Question for Quote Investigator: Some envision heaven filled with a joyous, loving, and interconnected group of people united on a higher spiritual plane. If one is a member of a happy family here on Earth then it is possible to obtain a glimpse of this future …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: A Happy Family Is But an Earlier Heaven”
Carl Sandburg? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Humanity takes arrogant pride in the knowledge it has accumulated over the centuries. Yet, it is a paltry amount when compared to the vast treasure troves that remain undiscovered in the uncharted regions of space and time. I roughly recall a saying on this theme that emphasized humility: …
Rosalind Franklin? Brenda Maddox? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: In the 21st century the insights gained via science have re-emerged as centrally important to the flourishing of our planet and humanity. Apparently, a researcher enthralled by work was told that she was placing too much emphasis on science. She replied: Science and everyday life cannot …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Science and Everyday Life Cannot and Should Not Be Separated”
Loren Eiseley? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The motions of water are often mesmerizing, e.g., the rhythmic crashing of waves on a beach, the misty turbulence of a plunging waterfall, and the sparkling jet of a fountain. A science popularizer apparently once said: If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: If There Is Magic On This Planet, It Is Contained In Water”
Veronica Lake? Judy Klemesrud? Walter Clemons? Anonymous? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A pulchritudinous movie star of the golden age of Hollywood supposedly said: I wasn’t a sex symbol; I was a sex zombie. Is this an authentic quotation? If someone did deliver this line would you please tell me who it was? Reply from …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: I Wasn’t a Sex Symbol; I Was a Sex Zombie”
Albert Einstein? Werner Mitsch? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: It is difficult to conceive of an ordinary creature foolish enough to design and build a device that would dramatically increase the probability of its self-annihilation. The great scientist Albert Einstein supposedly made the following remark: Mankind invented the atomic bomb, yet a mouse would never …
Mark Twain? Benjamin De Casseres? Richard Grant White? Mary Hallock Foote? Cordelia Foote? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Mark Twain once joked that the key to success was a combination of ignorance and confidence. I do not know the precise phrasing. Would you please help me to find the exact quotation and a citation? Reply …
Andrew Carnegie? Barnard Alderson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Business titan and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie stated that one person cannot build a great enterprise alone. Also, one person should never demand all the credit. Would you please help me to find the precise quotation and a citation? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1899 the “St. …
John Maynard Keynes? George Patton? Samuel Harries Daddow? Benjamin Bannan? Henry Smith? S. H. Monell? Thomas Brackett Reed? Thomas Alan Goldsborough? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A brilliant figure of speech has been employed to describe the performance of a futile or counter-productive task. Here are two versions: (1) You cannot push on a string.(2) …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: You Cannot Push On a String (Or a Rope)”
Christian Nestell Bovee? Evan Esar? Laurence J. Peter? Question for Quote Investigator: I once heard an observation that cogently explained the popularity of quotations. I do not recall the precise phrasing, but it was something like this: If you are unable to be witty yourself, the next best thing is being able to quote another’s …