Henry James? Fred Rogers? Billy James? Leon Edel? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The prominent American literary figure Henry James apparently crafted an expression with a three-fold repetition of the phrase “be kind”. The influential children’s television personality Fred Rogers has been credited with a similar statement. Would you please explore this topic? Reply from …
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Quote Origin: Drama Is Life with the Dull Bits Cut Out
Alfred Hitchcock? Leonard Lyons? François Truffaut? Steven Rattner? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Thrill master Alfred Hitchcock made a brilliant observation about storytelling requiring the excision of “dull bits” or “boring bits” from a narrative. Would you please help me to find a citation that presents the precise phrasing for this remark? Reply from Quote …
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Quote Origin: You Must Learn from the Mistakes of Others. You Will Never Live Long Enough to Make Them All Yourself
Hyman Rickover? Martin Vanbee? Eleanor Roosevelt? Harry Myers? Laurence J. Peter? Sam Levenson? Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.? Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: These two simple adages have a long history: Some wit crafted a hilarious addendum for the second adage: This construction has been attributed to U.S. Navy Admiral Hyman G. …
Quote Origin: A Newspaper Is a Device for Making the Ignorant More Ignorant and the Crazy Crazier
H. L. Mencken? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: H. L. Mencken worked as a journalist and columnist for newspapers in Baltimore, Maryland for several decades. Yet, his candid assessment of dailies was remarkably harsh. Apparently, he believed that newspapers made the crazy crazier. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from Quote …
Quote Origin: The Aim of Education Is the Knowledge, Not of Facts, But of Values
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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Quote Origin: Old Eyesore Gone At Last
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 …
Quote Origin: That You Have Enemies, You Must Not Doubt, When You Reflect That You Have Made Yourself Eminent
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 …
Quote Origin: You Have Enemies? Why, It Is the Story of Every Man Who Has Done a Great Deed or Created a New Idea
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 …
Quote Origin: You Are One of My Nicest Thoughts
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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Quote Origin: Strong People Always Have Strong Weaknesses Too
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 …
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