Tracing Quotations
William Ralph Inge? William S. Burroughs? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The following statement has been attributed to two very different people: William Ralph Inge and William S. Burroughs: The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values. Inge was a professor at Cambridge and Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in …
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Robert J. Casey? Bennett Cerf? Grady Clay? Dwight Marvin? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Misprints and incorrect headlines in major periodicals have caused havoc in the past. One egregious tale shared by journalists is about a caption containing the word “eyesore” that was transposed with another caption. Are you familiar with this story? Is it …
Creator: Thomas Jefferson, Statesman, U.S. President Context: Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter dated November 26, 1782 to George Rogers Clark, and he discussed the unavoidability of facing enemies when one’s actions are momentous enough to be recorded in history books. Emphasis added to this excerpt: That you have enemies you must not doubt, when you …
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 …
Georgia O’Keeffe? Roxana Robinson? Apocryphal? Question for 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? Reply from Quote Investigator: Georgia O’Keeffe had a close relationship with her sister …
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Peter Drucker? Wess Roberts? Apocryphal? Question for 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: This adage is attributed to management guru Peter Drucker. Would you please …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Strong People Always Have Strong Weaknesses Too”
Honoré de Balzac? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Whoever Does Not Visit Paris Regularly Will Never Truly Be Elegant”
Gregory Peck? Jaime Escalante? Madonna Louise Ciccone? Jeff Smith? Robert Downey Jr.? Chet Atkins? Question for 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? Reply from Quote Investigator: The desire to avoid …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Thing I Fear Most Is Being Mediocre. I Like To Excel”
George Herbert? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Many have suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. The following adage suggests that one should persevere to achieve success and enjoyment: Living well is the best revenge. Would you please explore the provence of this remark? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1640 George Herbert’s compilation of …
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Rudyard Kipling? Elizabeth Ogden Smith? Bob Rigley? Jean Kerr? Anonymous? Question for 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 …