W. C. Fields? Ben Hecht? Gene Fowler? Thomas Mitchell? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The brilliant comedian and movie actor W. C. Fields led an unrestrained showbiz life displaying a fondness for alcohol and mistresses. He was not known as a religious man, but as his death approached he began to peruse the Bible. When a …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Literature Is of No Practical Value Whatsoever
Vladimir Nabokov? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov was a consummate prose stylist. When he was a professor teaching his students about literature he apparently shared the following candid opinion: Literature is of no practical value whatsoever. Is this quotation accurate? Quote Investigator: In 1980 the posthumous book “Lectures on Literature” by …
Continue reading “Literature Is of No Practical Value Whatsoever”
He Was Prepared To Lay Down His Life for Eight Cousins or Two Brothers
J. B. S. Haldane? John Maynard Smith? W. D. Hamilton? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Kin selection is an important and sometimes controversial idea in genetics. The prominent biologist J. B. S. Haldane reportedly said: I would gladly give up my life for two brothers or eight cousins. I have been unable to find a citation …
Continue reading “He Was Prepared To Lay Down His Life for Eight Cousins or Two Brothers”
If You Think Education Is Expensive, Try Ignorance
Derek Bok? Ann Landers? Char Meyers? Robert Orben? John Lubbock? P. B. de La Bruère? Rev. S. C. Morris? Charles Duncan Mclver? Albert Einstein? Barack Obama? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The cost of attending college has been increasing more rapidly than the rate of inflation for decades in the U.S. Students and parents have been …
Continue reading “If You Think Education Is Expensive, Try Ignorance”
Clear Your Mind of Cant / Clear Your Mind of Can’t
Samuel Johnson? James Boswell? Thomas Carlyle? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Two statements that sound the same but have very different meanings have been attributed to the esteemed dictionary maker and man of letters Samuel Johnson: 1) Clear your mind of cant. 2) Clear your mind of can’t. In the first statement the noun “cant” referred …
Continue reading “Clear Your Mind of Cant / Clear Your Mind of Can’t”
Music Itself Is Going To Become Like Running Water or Electricity
David Bowie? Alan B. Krueger? David Kusek? Gerd Leonhard? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Music streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music have grown greatly in popularity and power in recent times. Some pundits assert that music in the future will be viewed as a utility like water, gas, or electricity. But this insight …
Continue reading “Music Itself Is Going To Become Like Running Water or Electricity”
Either Write Things Worth Reading or Do Things Worth the Writing
Benjamin Franklin? Thomas Fuller? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: If you wish to be remembered by posterity in a literate culture you have two options: 1) Write something that people wish to read. 2) Do something grand that inspires people to write. The famous statesman Benjamin Franklin has a secure place in history for both of …
Continue reading “Either Write Things Worth Reading or Do Things Worth the Writing”
If You Always Do What You’ve Always Done, You Always Get What You’ve Always Gotten
Henry Ford? Jessie Potter? Dayle K. Maloney? Cathy Bolger? Susan Jeffers? Jackie “Moms” Mabley? Tony Robbins? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Why do people repeat foolish, ineffective, or self-destructive behaviors? Self-help books contain an adage about the consequences of thoughtless repetition. Here are three versions: 1) If you do what you’ve always done you’ll get what …
Google Can Bring You Back 100,000 Answers. A Librarian Can Bring You Back the Right One
Neil Gaiman? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: In today’s world of search engines and myriad webpages some have questioned the future of libraries and librarians. The award-winning fantasy author Neil Gaiman coined an insightful saying on this topic. In essence, a librarian can help guide you to find the right answer from the hundreds of thousands …
Using Money You Haven’t Earned To Buy Things You Don’t Need To Impress People You Don’t Like
Will Smith? Walter Winchell? Robert Quillen? Edgar Allan Moss? Tony Wons? Ken Murray? Emile Gauvreau? Walter Slezak? Will Rogers? Chuck Palahniuk? Tyler Durden? Dear Quote Investigator: Have you ever purchased an item and wondered the next day what motivated your inexplicable action? Here are two versions of an entertaining saying about consumerism: 1) Too many …