Tracing Quotations
Thomas Edison? James D. Newton? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A fascinatingly prescient remark about energy has been attributed to the famous inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Edison: I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out …
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Otto von Bismarck? Cynical Broker? Hy Sheridan? Claud Cockburn? Edward Cheyfitz? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Cynicism regarding official edicts is not a new phenomenon. Reportedly, the powerful German leader Otto von Bismarck once said: Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied. Yet, these words have also been attributed to more …
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Sigmund Freud? An English Writer? Walt Menninger? Joyce Brothers? Robert Byrne? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The control and deflection of violent impulses is central to the development of fruitful social interactions. A cogent remark on this topic has been attributed to the acclaimed father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Here are three versions: 1) The …
Dorothy Parker? Oscar Levant? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A famously trenchant wit was once asked to describe the daily routine followed after arising: I wake up in the morning and brush my teeth, and then I sharpen my tongue. These words have been attributed to the writer Dorothy Parker and to the pianist comedian …
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Samuel Goldwyn? Jerry Wald? Jed Harris? Louis Sobol? Walter Winchell? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Making a weighty decision is difficult because one must be willing to forgo alternative choices and possibilities. The following equivocal statement comical illustrates this psychological tension: I can give you a definite maybe. The words above have been attributed to …
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Plato? Richard Lingard? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Plato’s philosophical thoughts were explicated using the format of a dialogue in which the participants expressed clashing ideas. The following quotation attributed to Plato seems to be a comical twist on his true attitude: You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than …
W. H. Auden? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The following evocative statement has been attributed to the prominent poet W. H. Auden: A false enchantment can all too easily last a lifetime. I find it so frustrating that people post and repost this quote without pointing to its precise source. Would you please help? Reply …
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Oscar Wilde? G. K. Chesterton? H. L. Mencken? Sebastian Melmoth? Question for Quote Investigator: The following cryptic paradox has been attributed to the famous wit Oscar Wilde: Life is too important to be taken seriously. Yet, I have not found this statement in Wilde’s plays or essays. Would you please examine its provenance? Reply from …
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Voltaire? Spider-Man? Winston Churchill? Theodore Roosevelt? Franklin D. Roosevelt? Lord Melbourne? John Cumming? Hercules G. R. Robinson? Henry W. Haynes? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a popular saying about the relationship between ascendancy and obligation: With great power comes great responsibility. This expression has been attributed to two very different sources: Voltaire and …
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Samuel Goldwyn? William Pine? William Thomas? Louis B. Mayer? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Some recent Hollywood action movies begin with an explosion and follow with a series of frenetic semi-coherent set pieces. The script writers seem to be channeling the late movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn’s funny advice for creating a blockbuster: We need a …