George Plimpton? Vance Whitt? James Grady? Margaret Thatcher? Mel Justice? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The repercussions of activities can be asymmetrical. For example, a chronic thief must be successful in every crime, whereas a pursuing detective must be successful only once to catch the thief and initiate legal consequences. Also, the target of a …
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Quip Origin: They Buried the Hatchet, But in a Shallow Grave
Dorothy Walworth? Abe Martin? Kin Hubbard? Thomas Kirby? Dave Ball? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The phrase “bury the hatchet” means to end a dispute and make peace. A humorous twist on this figurative phrase highlights enduring hostility: They buried the hatchet, but in a shallow grave. This statement suggests that the hatchet might be …
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Proverb Origin: Every Question Has Three Sides: Your Side, My Side, and the Right Side
Arthur Brisbane? Wray Hunt? John A. Broadus? Dorothy Maddox? Nellie K. Blissett? T. F. Thorp? George W. Paton? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: An old proverb asserts that every question has two sides. An extended proverb asserts that every question has three sides. The third side is the truthful or factual side. Here are three …
Proverb Origin: Inside Every Old Person There Is a Young Person Trying to Get Out
Mary Courtland? Harriet Van Horne? William D. McBride? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Older individuals sometimes embarrass themselves by chasing evanescent trends and trying to act young. Yet sometimes they succeed and feel rejuvenated. Here is a pertinent saying: Inside every old person is a young person trying to get out. Would you please explore …
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Quote Origin: Misquotation Is the Pride and Privilege of the Learned
Hesketh Pearson? Stephen Gwynn? Lord Byron? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The human brain is not designed to precisely remember quotations. Unintentionally paraphrasing or altering quotations is common. A popular writer once suggested that misquotations were the pride and privilege of the learned. Unsurprisingly, I do not remember the precise phrasing of this remark. Would …
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Adage Origin: Inside Every Fat Person is a Thin Person Trying to Get Out
George Orwell? Cyril Connolly? Margaret Marshall? Kingsley Amis? Kit Reed? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Societal attitudes toward body weight and body image have changed, and this topic can be controversial. I recall the following adage from decades in the past: Inside every fat person is a slim one who wants to get out. I …
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Origin of Investor Proverb: Buy When There Is Blood in the Streets
Baron Rothschild? Anselm Rothschild? Nathan Mayer Rothschild? Lionel de Rothschild? Bernard Baruch? John D. Rockefeller? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Societal chaos and violence is frightening to investors. Uncertainty depresses the prices of securities. Yet, a popular adage highlights the presence of opportunity: Buy when blood is running in the streets. This guideline makes sense …
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Catchphrase Origin: Can a Duck Swim?
Thomas Otway? Thomas Brand? George Colman? Theodore Hook? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: When the answer to a question is obviously affirmative the respondent can employ a rhetorical phrase from a family that includes these three examples: Is water wet?Is the Pope a Catholic?Can a duck swim? Apparently, these types of catchphrases have been circulating …
Catchphrase Origin: Does a Chicken Have Lips?
Wesly Brogdon? Dea Reed? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? Bobby Foster? Dean Martin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: When the answer to a question is obviously affirmative the respondent can employ a rhetorical phrase from a family that includes these three examples: Is water wet?Can birds fly?Is the Pope a Catholic? When the answer is obviously negative the …
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Proverb Origin: A Bayonet Is a Weapon with a Worker at Each End
John Maclean? James Hudson? James Riley? H. L. Mencken? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Warring countries enlist workers to fight battles. Pacifists have adopted the following slogan. Here are three versions: (1) A bayonet is a weapon with a working man at either end.(2) A bayonet is a weapon with a worker at each end.(3) …
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