George Washington? C. S. Wheatley? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Are you familiar with the “liberty teeth” speech attributed to George Washington? Researchers have been unable to find evidence that Washington delivered this address, and some phrases are apparently anachronistic. Would you please explore its provenance? Quote Investigator: The earliest evidence located by QI was published …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Unless You Try To Do Something Beyond What You Have Already Mastered, You Will Never Grow
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Ronald E. Osborn? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The following adage about personal growth has appeared in many self-help and motivational texts: Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. Often the words are attributed to the well-known transcendental philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, but I …
Only One Who Attempts the Absurd Is Capable of Achieving the Impossible
Albert Einstein? M. C. Escher? Robin Morgan? Miguel de Unamuno? Miguel de Cervantes? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: To fully succeed in life one must ultimately follow an audacious path that may seem nonsensical or reckless to ones colleagues. My favorite saying supports this idea. Here are three versions: 1) Only those who attempt the absurd …
Continue reading “Only One Who Attempts the Absurd Is Capable of Achieving the Impossible”
The Philosopher, the Theologian, and the Elusive Black Cat
Julian Huxley? H. L. Mencken? Lewis Browne? Eric Temple Bell? William James? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The QI website has an article tracing a quip about a problematic absurdist quest: A metaphysician is a man who goes into a dark cellar at midnight without a light looking for a black cat that is not there. …
Continue reading “The Philosopher, the Theologian, and the Elusive Black Cat”
She Is Too Fond of Books, and It Has Turned Her Brain
Louisa May Alcott? Liz Smith? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The following quotation is popular with book lovers, and it has appeared on posters, mugs, tote bags, plaques, bookmarks, and jewelry: She is too fond of books, and it has addled her brain. The statement is attributed to the famous novelist Louisa May Alcott who wrote …
Continue reading “She Is Too Fond of Books, and It Has Turned Her Brain”
A Blind Man in a Dark Room Looking for a Black Cat That Is Not There
Charles Darwin? Lord Bowen? Confucius? E. R. Pearce? William James? Ralph Waldo Emerson? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A vivid and comical metaphor has been applied to professions that require abstract and recondite reasoning abilities: A mathematician is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black hat which isn’t there. A metaphysician is …
Continue reading “A Blind Man in a Dark Room Looking for a Black Cat That Is Not There”
You Can’t Depend On Your Eyes When Your Imagination Is Out of Focus
Mark Twain? Richard Branson? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson has argued that imagination provides hope, drive, and inspiration. He believes it should be “intertwined in daily life”; to support this thought he referred to a quotation attributed to Mark Twain: You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out …
Continue reading “You Can’t Depend On Your Eyes When Your Imagination Is Out of Focus”
It Ain’t Over ‘Til the Fat Lady Sings
Lee Arthur? Dick Motta? Dan Cook? Ralph Carpenter? Fred Speck? Bob Pafford? Art Buchwald? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The leading position in an athletic or political contest can dramatically shift during a short period, and sometimes the outcome can be dependent on the final stage of competition. A family of adages employs analogical language to …
The Buck Stops Here
Harry Truman? A. B. Warfield? Spencer Z. Hilliard? Clifford M. Alexander? Lester C. Hunt? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The phrase “pass the buck” refers to shifting responsibility from one person to another. U.S. President Harry Truman had a sign on his desk in the White House that famously stated: The Buck Stops Here Thus, Truman …
An Exclamation Point Is Like Laughing at Your Own Joke
Mark Twain? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Would you please explore the provenance of a piece of writing advice that I’ve seen several times. Here are two versions: One should never use exclamation points in writing. It is like laughing at your own joke. Cut out all these exclamation points. An exclamation point …
Continue reading “An Exclamation Point Is Like Laughing at Your Own Joke”