Tracing Quotations
Johnny Carson? Kenneth Tynan? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The late-night talk-show host Johnny Carson was one of the most successful entertainers in U.S. history. He spent thirty years as the star of “The Tonight Show” on the NBC television network. Before he embraced the celebrated nocturnal hosting duties he held nine different jobs. That …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Never Continue in a Job You Don’t Enjoy”
Frederik Pohl? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Frederik Pohl was an influential award-winning science-fiction author and editor. Apparently, Pohl’s Law states: Nothing is so good that somebody somewhere won’t hate it. Would you please examine this linkage? Reply from Quote Investigator: Multiple statements have been labeled “Pohl’s Law” over the years. In 1966 Pohl was …
Continue reading “Pohl’s Law Origin: Nothing Is So Good that Somebody Somewhere Won’t Hate It”
Lord Palmerston? George Peacocke? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: There is an anecdote about a fiendishly complex diplomatic agreement. Negotiating, signing, and comprehending the pact had sent one person to the grave, sent a second to a lunatic asylum, and left a third with memory loss. Are you familiar with this tale? Reply from Quote …
W. Edwards Deming? Edwin R. Fisher? Bernard Fisher? Cecil R. Reynolds? Brian L. Joiner? Ronald D. Snee? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Would you please examine a humorous empirically-minded statement that expands upon a famous motto appearing on U.S. currency. Here are three versions: When do you think this quip originated? Reply from Quote Investigator: …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: In God We Trust; Others Must Provide Data”
Kenneth Kernaghan? P.K. Kuruvilla? Paul Samuelson? Edith Greene? Irwin S. Bernstein? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Each datum in a collection of data may be considered a story. Yet, it is often difficult to make rigorous conclusions based on a motley collection of anecdotes. Scientific data should be collected in a methodical manner according to …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Plural of Anecdote Is Not Data”
Raymond Wolfinger? Roger G. Noll? Richard F. Fenno Jr.? Daniel Patrick Moynihan? George Stigler? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: An anecdote is a single fact or datum. When many of these facts are combined the collection is naturally called data. Apparently, a social scientist coined the following saying: The plural of anecdote is data. Would …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Plural of Anecdote is Data”
Erma Bombeck? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The popular humorist Erma Bombeck once wrote about the melancholy feelings of some Christmas celebrants when they leave childhood behind. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1967 Erma Bombeck wrote the following in her syndicated column, Emphasis added to excerpts: …
Josh Billings? Elmira Gazette? Charles Frohman? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Soon people will be making resolutions for the New Year. The popular U.S. humorist Josh Billings reportedly made an apropos remark about steadfastness. Here are two versions: I have been unable to find a solid citation for Billings. Would you please help trace this …
Aristotle? Marcus Bach? Albert Schweitzer? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Did the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle secretly work at a job placement agency? Probably not, but a popular family of sayings about career choice has been attributed to him. Here are three examples: I have been unable to find a solid citation for Aristotle? Would …
Will Rogers? Walter Trumbull? Franklin Rodman? Frances Rodman? Robert Phelps? Wynn Catlin? Harold Winkler? Robert Phelps? Question for Quote Investigator: The reassuring words of a diplomat may sharply diverge from the true agenda of the envoy. The following metaphor depicts hidden hostility: Diplomacy is the art of being able to say “nice doggie” until you …