Tracing Quotations
Pablo Picasso? Berthold Auerbach? Playboy? Aline Saarinen? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator:The following adage has been attributed to the famous painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso. Here are two versions: 1) Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. 2) The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. …
Continue reading “Music Washes Away from the Soul the Dust of Everyday Life”
Letitia Elizabeth Landon? Pablo Picasso? Samuel Rogers? Dear Quote Investigator: The following statement has been attributed to the major artist Pablo Picasso: Art! I love it for the buried hopes, the garnered memories, the tender feelings it can summon at a touch. Curiously, a similar remark about music has been attributed to the Victorian novelist …
Pablo Picasso? Françoise Gilot? Carlton Lake? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Pablo Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. He was also open to the ideas and approaches of other creators. The following remark has been attributed to the master painter: When there’s anything to steal, I steal. Is this statement …
John Nalson? Oliver Cromwell? Tom Quick? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Historically, non-combatants have sometimes been deliberately attacked during warfare. A cruel motto has been employed to rationalize the targeting of young people. Here are three versions: Nits make lice. Nits will become lice. Nits will be lice. A “nit” refers to the egg of …
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? John Anster? William Hutchison Murray? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a wonderful quotation about the pivotal step of making a commitment to an enterprise: Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. These two lines are often attributed to the …
Tallulah Bankhead? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The famous actress Tallulah Bankhead was an ardent baseball fan, and she was particularly impressed by the outstanding skills of the great athlete Willie Mays. Apparently, she stated that there have only been two authentic geniuses in history: Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare I am not sure if this …
Richard Branson? Thornton Wilder? Francis Bacon? Mr. Bettenham? King James I of England? Henry Edmundson? Richard Flecknoe? Clint Murchison? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The famous British entrepreneur Richard Branson employed an extraordinary simile. He said that “money is like manure”, and elaborated on the thought as follows:[1]Website: Richard Branson blog at Virgin.com, Article title: Why …
Edna St. Vincent Millay? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: You have already examined the following mordant saying: Life is just one damned thing after another. Apparently, the prominent poet Edna St. Vincent Millay disagreed, and she offered her own alternative trenchant analysis of life. Here are three versions: It’s one damn thing over and over. It’s …
Arthur C. Clarke? Albert Scott Crossfield? George T. Hauty? S. Fred Singer? Dear Quote Investigator: In the early days of the space-age researchers and administrators were considering replacing human pilots and astronauts with computers. The argument against this form of automation was presented with a single humorous sentence that emphasized the advantages of humans. Are …
Frank Lloyd Wright? Edgar Tafel? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Recently, I was reading a book about software design, and the author emphasized the importance of detecting and fixing errors quickly. The following quotation was presented: You can use an eraser on the drafting table or a sledgehammer on the construction site. The statement was attributed …