Tracing Quotations
Pablo Picasso? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: To accomplish an arduous cerebral task it is necessary to avoid quotidian interruptions and achieve a deeper form of concentration. The remarkable painter Pablo Picasso has been credited with the following perceptive adage: Without great solitude no serious work is possible. This quotation is popular, but I have …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Nothing Can Be Accomplished Without Solitude”
Vincent van Gogh? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Several self-help books contain a statement about achieving magnificent results via an incremental approach. The saying is attributed to the brilliant and original painter Vincent van Gogh: Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. And great things are …
Gore Vidal? Stormont Mancroft? Gareth Williams? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The following quotation has been attributed to the writer and political commentator Gore Vidal: The four most beautiful words in the English language are ‘I told you so’. Was this statement crafted by Vidal? Reply from Quote Investigator: Gore Vidal did employ versions of …
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George Orwell? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Lately, I have been seeing the following quotation about warfare attributed to the famous political writer George Orwell: War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it. I am skeptical of this attribution. Is this a genuine statement …
Woody Allen? Herb Caen? Rod Riggs? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The ability to read and comprehend text quickly is a valuable skill. Several decades ago courses were developed that attempted to teach “speed reading” or “quick reading” techniques. The well-known comedian Woody Allen created a joke about applying speed-reading strategies to Tolstoy’s massive tome …
Will Rogers? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: While searching for a quotation on the subject of government in a reference book I came across a quip from the famous cowboy and Native American humorist Will Rogers: I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. But the supporting citation was dated …
Maya Angelou? Joan Walsh Anglund? William Hazlitt? Alfred Lord Tennyson? Jimmie Allison? Lou Holtz? Question for Quote Investigator: In 2015 the U.S. Postal Service released a controversial commemorative stamp featuring the prominent author Maya Angelou which displayed the following words: A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a …
Oscar Wilde? CosmoGIRL? L. G. McVean? William J. Locke? Elizabeth Cooper? Holiday Mathis? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a popular saying about the intimate connection between people who are in love that has been attributed to the famous wit Oscar Wilde. The closeness is expressed using an auditory metaphor: You don’t love …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Lovers: They Sing a Song Only You Can Hear”
Mark Twain? Eleanor Roosevelt? Mary Schmich? Ralph Waldo Emerson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Mark Twain said something about doing at least one thing each day that you should do despite the fact that it makes you feel uncomfortable. I do not remember precisely how the expression was phrased. Here are two pertinent statements: Do …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Make It a Point To Do Something Every Day That You Don’t Want To Do”
Leon Shamroy? Alfred Hitchcock? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: According to Hollywood legend a vain actor or actress was deeply concerned about being photographed in a flattering manner. The following words were exchanged with a famous director: “You’re not photographing me with my best side to the camera.” “But how can I when you’re sitting …
Continue reading “Dialogue Origin: “Which Is My Best Side, Do You Think?” “You’re Sitting On It””