Tracing Quotations
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 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: You Can’t Depend On Your Eyes When Your Imagination Is Out of Focus”
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 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: It Ain’t Over ’Til the Fat Lady Sings”
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, …
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 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: An Exclamation Point Is Like Laughing at Your Own Joke”
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 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Whether You Believe You Can Do a Thing or Not, You Are Right”
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 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: You May Tell the Butcher’s Wife That Lady Peel Has Finished”
Victor Hugo? H. L. Mencken? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Melancholy is a complex and sometimes puzzling emotion. The composite nature of the sensation is expressed by the following: Melancholia is the joy of feeling sad. Melancholy is the happiness of being sad. Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad. I believe that this statement …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Melancholy Is the Pleasure of Being Sad”
Groucho Marx? S. J. Perelman? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Groucho Marx was once asked to write a blurb for a book written by a friend. The result was this hilarious evaluation: From the moment I picked up your book until I put it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Book Blurb: I Was Convulsed with Laughter”
George Bernard Shaw? Puck? Saxby’s Magazine? Elbert Hubbard? Confucius? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The following adage is the perfect antidote to excessive negativity and obstructionism: People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. These words are often attributed to Asian sage Confucius and to the acclaimed playwright …
Henry David Thoreau? George S. Boutwell? Taylor Caldwell? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: George S. Boutwell was a U.S. politician who campaigned to end slavery and later became president of the Anti-Imperialist League. He objected to the annexation of the Philippines. The following statement has been attributed to him: Every ambitious would-be empire clarions it …