Tracing Quotations
Creator: Emily Dickinson, prominent U.S. poet Context: The quotation occurred within a letter from Dickinson dated 1874 that appeared in a collection of missives published posthumously in 1894. The letter was sent to a cousin who was not named. Emphasis added to this excerpt: Affection is like bread, unnoticed till we starve, and then we …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: We Turn Not Older With Years, But Newer Every Day”
Oscar Wilde? Michael Cunningham? Robert Klitzman? Robert Michels? Frank Underwood? Kevin Spacey? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: While reading about the precipitous downfall of an influential literary tastemaker and powerbroker at “The Paris Review” I encountered once again a remark attributed to Oscar Wilde. Here are three versions: The Wilde ascription is often labeled …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Everything Is About Sex Except Sex. Sex Is About Power”
Laurence Olivier? Homer Fickett? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The acclaimed actor Laurence Olivier performed many different roles during his long career. He said something like: Scratch an actor, and you’ll find an actor. Would you please help me to find a citation? Did he originate this statement? Reply from Quote Investigator: Laurence Olivier did …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Scratch an Actor and Underneath You’ll Find Another Actor”
Dorothy Parker? Walter Winchell? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Dorothy Parker was well known for her sometimes controversial witticisms. Apparently, one of her remarks was based on clichés about the vanity, mannerisms, and/or sexuality of actors. Would you please examine this topic? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in the …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Scratch an Actor and You’ll Find an Actress”
Creator: Wilson Mizner, playwright, entrepreneur, adventurer Context: Mizner died in 1933. A biography of his colorful life appeared in 1935 called “The Fabulous Wilson Mizner” by Edward Dean Sullivan. The chapter “Miznerisms” was dedicated to his witticisms. Here were three. Emphasis added to excerpts: I am a stylist—and the most beautiful sentence I have ever …
Isak Dinesen? Tania Blixen? Karen Blixen? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The three best ways to overcome a difficulty are: (1) performing hard physical labor, (2) crying to achieve emotional release, or (3) visiting the ocean. The prominent author Isak Dinesen apparently crafted a lovely formulation for this advice: The cure for anything is salt …
Alan Kay? Andy Hertzfeld? Michael Eisner? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The Roman numeral system is powerful enough to express numbers such as 1776 (MDCCLXXVI), but the system is terrible for performing arithmetic operations such as division. A fresh perspective is required. A positional system such as the decimal numeral system is dramatically superior for …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Point of View Is Worth 80 IQ Points”
Creator: David Ogilvy, influential advertising executive who founded the top firm Ogilvy & Mather Context: In 1963 Ogilvy published the best-seller “Confessions of an Advertising Man” which included the following advice: Never Write an Advertisement Which You Wouldn’t Want Your Own Family To Read. You wouldn’t tell lies to your own wife. Don’t tell them …
Malcolm X? Oprah Winfrey? Haitian Proverb? Portuguese Proverb? Henry Rich? Thomas Fuller? Thomas Dunn English? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: While pursuing an objective one may make errors and suffer setbacks, but these impediments to progress are not insurmountable. Here are two versions of an analogical proverb offering encouragement: This saying has been attributed to …
Marilyn Monroe? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Glamourous movie icon Marilyn Monroe apparently expressed misgivings about her sex symbol status because she did not wish to be viewed simply as a thing. Would you please help me to find a citation for her remarks on this topic? Reply from Quote Investigator: “LIFE” magazine Associate Editor …