Tracing Quotations
Groucho Marx? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Groucho Marx apparently once said that he pursued the affections of a woman for two years until he finally discovered that the woman was doing exactly the same thing: pursuing the affections of a woman. Would you please investigate this claim? Reply from Quote Investigator: The 1967 collection …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: We Both Were Crazy About Girls”
Robert Benchley? Marc Connelly? Corey Ford? Bennett Cerf? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A financially unstable comedian once asked his long-time bank for a large loan. He was dumbfounded when his request was granted, and he immediately withdrew all his money from the institution while giving the following explanation: How can I trust a bank …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: I Don’t Trust a Bank That Would Lend Money To Such a Poor Risk”
Winston Churchill? Harold Laski? George William Russell? Gertrude Mathews Shelby? Felix Frankfurter? Salvador de Madariaga? Robert Cecil? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: When a government or organization faces a difficult decision, its leaders must consult with expert thinkers and scientists; however, the resultant actions should not be dictated solely by the experts. Capable leaders are …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Experts Ought To Be On Tap and Not On Top”
Gertrude Stein? Joanna Lee? Fred Neher? Kate Osann? George Gobel? Bo Derek? John E. Gibson? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Twisting timeworn adages produces new comical sayings. Altering a hoary remark about wealth and happiness yields a maxim for shopaholics: Anyone who says money doesn’t buy happiness doesn’t know where to shop. The prominent literary …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Whoever Said Money Can’t Buy Happiness Didn’t Know Where To Shop”
Groucho Marx? Jack Oakie? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Encountering a black cat may bring you good luck or bad luck according to a complicated rule dictated by superstitious beliefs. The nature of the omen depends on whether the cat was traveling from left to right or the reverse. It also depends on whether the …
Thomas Jefferson? W. W. Ziege? Elbert Hubbard? Orison Swett Marden? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Several spiritual traditions assert that thoughts and beliefs can directly alter the world. Maintaining a positive outlook is highly desirable as indicated in the following proposition: Nothing can stop a person with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; …
Englishman? Frenchman? Lord Byron? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The quotidian activities of life induce lassitude and even despondency in some people. I have heard that an eighteenth century suicide note placed blame upon the following perpetual exercise: I weary of all this buttoning and unbuttoning. Is this tale genuine or apocryphal? Reply from Quote …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Tired of Buttoning and Unbuttoning”
Michael Crichton? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Michael Crichton wrote numerous popular books and screenplays including: Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Westworld, Congo, Sphere, and The Lost World. Yet, each work entailed strenuous effort and required multiple drafts. Apparently, he offered the following advice to aspiring authors: Books aren’t written, they’re rewritten. Including your own. …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Books Aren’t Written, They’re Rewritten. Including Your Own”
Alden Nowlan? John Robert Colombo? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Young children often view adults with awe. Even disobedient ones fear the deity-like powers of adults. Yet, over time the cracks in the façade of authority grow. Some author has stated: The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect he becomes an adolescent. …
William James? Gerald G. Jampolsky? Judy J. Johnson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Recently, I came across a quotation attributed to the famous philosopher and psychologist William James about the difficult task of changing one’s belief system. He stated that one must let the past slip away, and one must dissolve fears. I do not …