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 …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
There Have Only Been Two Geniuses in the World — Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare
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 …
Riches Are Like Muck Which Stinks in a Heap But Spread Abroad Makes the Earth Fruitful
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 …
It’s Not True That Life Is One Damn Thing After Another—It’s One Damn Thing Over and Over
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 …
Human: A Non-Linear Servo-Mechanism Weighing Only 150 Pounds that Can Be Produced Cheaply by Unskilled Labor
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 …
The Architect’s Most Effective Tools Are the Eraser in the Drafting Room and the Wrecking Bar on the Job
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 …
It’s True I’m Here, and I’m Just as Strange as You
Frida Kahlo? Rebecca Katherine Martin? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a fascinating quotation about self-consciousness and the desire to establish a connection with an alter ego or doppelganger. Here is the beginning: I used to think I was the strangest person in the world, but then I thought, there are so many people …
Continue reading “It’s True I’m Here, and I’m Just as Strange as You”
Anecdote Origin: The Dictionary Feud: Faulkner versus Hemingway
William Faulkner? Ernest Hemingway? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Two major writers of the twentieth century disagreed sharply about the type of vocabulary that was advantageous in literary works. According to a literary legend Faulkner attacked Hemingway by saying he had “no courageâ€. Hemingway’s tightly circumscribed word choice was pedestrian. Hemingway punched back by stating …
Continue reading “Anecdote Origin: The Dictionary Feud: Faulkner versus Hemingway”
An Apology Is the Superglue of Life. It Can Repair Just About Anything
Lynn Johnston? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The Canadian cartoonist Lynn Johnston has crafted a wonderful metaphor equating the reparative quality of apologies to superglue. Her statement is very popular on the web, but no one seems to know the precise phrasing; also, I have never seen a solid citation. Would you please trace this quotation? …
Continue reading “An Apology Is the Superglue of Life. It Can Repair Just About Anything”
They’ve Absolutely Ruined Your Perfectly Dreadful Play
Tallulah Bankhead? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The funniest one-line review of a movie I have ever encountered is the following: Darling, they’ve absolutely ruined your perfectly dreadful play. According to a show-business legend, the movie star Tallulah Bankhead delivered this mortifying judgement to the famous playwright Tennessee Williams when she saw the film version of …
Continue reading “They’ve Absolutely Ruined Your Perfectly Dreadful Play”