Tracing Quotations
Albert Einstein? Charles F. Kettering? Wernher von Braun? Luis de Florez? Charles Erwin Wilson? David C. Hazen? Question for Quote Investigator: There are no guaranteed outcomes when research is conducted. The results might be valuable or worthless. The following saying reflects this uncertainty. Here are two versions: (1) If we knew what it was we …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: If We Knew What We Were Doing, It Would Not Be Called Research”
Geoffrey Hinton? Will Douglas Heaven? Alex Hern? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A modern AI system is implemented with an intricate hardware device, but the crucial distinguishing characteristic of the device is a collection of parameters called weights. It is possible to store a copy of these weights in a separate location. If the hardware …
Samuel Goldwyn? Louella Parsons? Sylvia Porter? Leonard Hall? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A famous producer from the Golden Age of Hollywood once complained to his scriptwriters that their stories were uninspired. The producer made an inadvertently comical request: Let’s have some new cliches. This saying has been attributed to Samuel Goldwyn, but I am …
Toni Morrison? Karl Shapiro? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent literary figure once said: Nothing needs to be exposed since it is already barefaced. I am having trouble finding a solid citation. Would you please help me to trace this expression? Reply from Quote Investigator: U.S. author Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize in …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Nothing Needs To Be Exposed Since It Is Already Barefaced”
Thomas Edison? Julia Marlowe? Samuel Smiles? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A famous entrepreneur once spoke about the ingredients needed for success. Here are two versions: (1) I tell you genius is hard work, stick-to-it-iveness, and common sense. (2) The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Genius Is Hard Work, Stick-To-It-Iveness, and Common Sense”
Ernest Hemingway? Leicester Hemingway? Elizabeth Hamilton? Lois L. Vine? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The following statement appeared as a crossword puzzle clue in “The New York Times”: Human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a ___ does not. This statement was attributed to Ernest Hemingway, and the missing word …
Artemus Ward? Charles Farrar Browne? Leo Rosten? Punch Magazine? Malakoff? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A grotesque comical tale illustrates the notion of chutzpah. A young person was found guilty of murdering his father and mother. The judge asked, “Have you anything to say before I pass sentence?” The defendant replied, “I hope your Honor …
Continue reading “Anecdote Origin: I Hope Your Honor Will Have Mercy on a Poor Orphan”
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.? Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.? Clinton Cushing? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Young people emerging from rigorous training are familiar with the rules of their professions, but it takes time and practical experience to recognize and adapt to the exceptions to these rules. A sage once said the following: The young man …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Young Man Knows the Rules, But the Old Man Knows the Exceptions”
Lewis Carroll? Cheshire Cat? Caterpillar? Harry S. Albert? R. Elizabeth Jones? Manmatha Nath Chatterjee? Henry Miller? Theodore Levitt? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Choosing goals in life is difficult but essential. The following absurdist proverb is pertinent: If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. This statement has been credited …
Howard H. Aiken? Kenneth E. Iverson? Gregory W. Welch? Robert Slater? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A cynical comment about innovation states that it is not necessary to fear the theft of your ideas because people obstinately resist imaginative ideas. If your idea is original, you will have to ram it down people’s throats. This …