Albert Einstein? M. C. Escher? Robin Morgan? Miguel de Unamuno? Miguel de Cervantes? Anonymous? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: The Philosopher, the Theologian, and the Elusive Black Cat
Julian Huxley? H. L. Mencken? Lewis Browne? Eric Temple Bell? William James? Anonymous? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: She Is Too Fond of Books, and It Has Turned Her Brain
Louisa May Alcott? Liz Smith? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: 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? Question for 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 …
Quote Origin: You Can’t Depend On Your Eyes When Your Imagination Is Out of Focus
Mark Twain? Richard Branson? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: It Ain’t Over ’Til the Fat Lady Sings
Lee Arthur? Dick Motta? Dan Cook? Ralph Carpenter? Fred Speck? Bob Pafford? Art Buchwald? Anonymous? Question for 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 …
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Motto Origin: The Buck Stops Here
Harry Truman? A. B. Warfield? Spencer Z. Hilliard? Clifford M. Alexander? Lester C. Hunt? Anonymous? Question for 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, …
Quote Origin: An Exclamation Point Is Like Laughing at Your Own Joke
Mark Twain? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Anonymous? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: Whether You Believe You Can Do a Thing or Not, You Are Right
Henry Ford? Virgil? John Dryden? John Herbert Phillips? Del Howard? Harlowe B. Andrews? Norman Vincent Peale? Mary Kay Ash? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: An aphorism highlighting the power of positive thinking and warning about the danger of negative thinking has often been attributed to automotive titan Henry Ford. Here are four versions: Did Ford …
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Quote Origin: You May Tell the Butcher’s Wife That Lady Peel Has Finished
Beatrice Lillie? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The story of a snobbish person experiencing a comeuppance has been the template of many entertaining and satisfying anecdotes. Are you familiar with the tale of the actress Beatrice Lillie and the imperious wife of a wealthy Chicago meat-packer? Was this incident genuine or apocryphal? Reply from Quote …
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