Tracing Quotations
Erma Bombeck? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The age of social media has exacerbated political antagonisms. A sardonic comedian once claimed that no person foolish enough to run for a high political office could be worthy of a vote. I hope high-quality candidates ignore this facetious viewpoint, but it is difficult to discount. Would you …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: I Don’t Want To Elect Anyone Stupid Enough To Want the Job”
Winston Churchill? Caskie Stinnett? Gary Knafelc? Vince Lombardi? Viola Layne? Earl Wilson? Joe Williams? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Diplomacy is a difficult profession that rewards sensitivity and great verbal dexterity. The following witticism has been credited to travel writer and humorist Caskie Stinnett: A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go …
Robert Frost? Edna St. Vincent Millay? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The acclaimed American poet Robert Frost was asked as an octogenarian what he had learned about life, and he succinctly replied: It goes on. I have been unable to find a contemporaneous citation, and a popular quotation website says that the attribution is disputed. …
Calvin Coolidge? Frank A. Beach? Lisbeth Jordan? Robert E. Whalen? Elliot Liebow? Question for Quote Investigator: The scientific literature on animal behavior contains the term “Coolidge Effect” which apparently was inspired by a ribald anecdote about Calvin Coolidge and his wife Grace. Would you please explore the provenance of this term and the accompanying story? …
Ingrid Bergman? Alfred Hitchcock? Stephen King? Stefan Kanfer? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I once heard a remarkably apt description of a director who created horror films: That auteur is a farmer who raises gooseflesh. Gooseflesh is also referred to as goose bumps or horripilation. Would you please tell me the name of the director …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Hitchcock Is a Gentleman Farmer Who Raises Gooseflesh”
Norman Borlaug? John Boyd Orr? George C. Marshall? Question for Quote Investigator: Human deprivation engenders unrest, violence, and war. The following saying has been credited to Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, an agronomist who contributed to large increases in agricultural productivity: You can’t build peace on empty stomachs. The statement has also been attributed to Nobel …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: We Cannot Build Peace on Empty Stomachs”
Robert Benchley? Arthur Loeb Mayer? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The popular humorist and actor Robert Benchley has been credited with the following response to a colleague who desired company during exercise: Go jogging? What, and get hit by a meteor? Benchley died in 1945; hence, this scenario appears anachronistic. Would you please help determine …
Dorothy Parker? Pauline Kael? Question for Quote Investigator: The decision to greenlight a movie in Hollywood is complicated and protracted. Those eager to make films experience a mixture of encouragement, uncertainty, delays, and heartbreak. Here are two versions of a germane witticism: These words have been credited to author Dorothy Parker and movie critic Pauline …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Hollywood Is the Only Place Where You Can Die of Encouragement”
Christopher McQuarrie? Charles Baudelaire? Kevin Spacey? Verbal Kint? Keyser Söze? John Wilkinson? William Ramsey? John Fletcher Hurst? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The 1995 movie “The Usual Suspects” contains a memorable line spoken by a guileful character about the existence or non-existence of the Devil. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the …
Warren Buffett? Jim Rasmussen? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The investment record of Warren Buffett has been astonishingly successful. His reputation for sagacity means that his tongue can transform a prosaic remark into an adage of wry plainspoken wisdom such as the following: Risk comes from not knowing what you’re going. I have seen low …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Risk Comes from Not Knowing What You’re Doing”