W. C. Fields? Stephen Leacock? Justin J. Burns? Henry Morgan? George Burns? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A well-known saying about persistence has become an energyless cliché: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The following parody version is usually attributed to the famous comedian W. C. Fields: If at first you don’t succeed, …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You
Mary Schmich? Eleanor Roosevelt? Kurt Vonnegut? Baz Luhrmann? Ralph Waldo Emerson? Jane Addams? Mark Toby? Dear Quote Investigator: To achieve personal growth it is sometimes necessary to move outside of a comfort zone. Unjustified fears can constrain exploration and positive development. Here is a saying I find valuable: Do one thing every day that scares …
They Haven’t Done Anything to My Book. It’s Right There on the Shelf
Raymond Chandler? James M. Cain? Alan Moore? William S. Burroughs? Larry Niven? Stephen King? Elmore Leonard? William Faulkner? Owen Sheers? Dear Quote Investigator: I have heard the following anecdote told about Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Stephen King, and Elmore Leonard. A journalist once visited the house of a popular author who had sold the …
Continue reading “They Haven’t Done Anything to My Book. It’s Right There on the Shelf”
A Statue Has Never Been Set Up in Honour of a Critic
Zig Ziglar? Jean Sibelius? Bengt de Törne? Martha Graham? Agnes De Mille? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: When the famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar died last year I saw a list of ten quotations ascribed to him. One was about criticism: There has never been a statue erected to honor a critic. I thought this was …
Continue reading “A Statue Has Never Been Set Up in Honour of a Critic”
All Actors Are Cattle
Alfred Hitchcock? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Alfred Hitchcock was one of the greatest movie directors of the twentieth century in my opinion. A controversial quotation about actors has long been attributed to him: All actors are cattle. Did he really say this? Who was he speaking to? Quote Investigator: There is good evidence that Alfred …
Don’t Tell Me the Moon Is Shining; Show Me the Glint of Light on Broken Glass
Anton Chekhov? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Recently I was reading a collection of writing tips designed for neophyte scribblers, and I came across a valuable piece of advice that was attributed to Anton Chekhov: Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. I have seen this statement …
Continue reading “Don’t Tell Me the Moon Is Shining; Show Me the Glint of Light on Broken Glass”
When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It
Yogi Berra? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Yogi Berra was a brilliant baseball player and manager. He is also famous for his comically wise sayings which are known as ‘Yogiisms’. This is my favorite on the topic of making decisions: When you come to a fork in the road, take it. Is this an authentic Yogiism? …
Continue reading “When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It”
I Never Think of the Future. It Comes Soon Enough
Albert Einstein? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The following saying is attributed to the scientific genius Albert Einstein: I never think of the future – it comes soon enough. Did he really say this? When did he say it? Quote Investigator: The earliest evidence of this saying located by QI was printed in a newspaper article …
Continue reading “I Never Think of the Future. It Comes Soon Enough”
Count Your Age by Friends, Not Years. Count Your Life by Smiles, Not Tears
John Lennon? Birthday Card? Dixie Lee Crosby? Dixie Willson? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: I am a big fan of the Beatles, and I think I have a good mental picture of my favorite band member, John Lennon. The following popular pair of statements is often credited to Lennon, but I think the attribution is false: …
Continue reading “Count Your Age by Friends, Not Years. Count Your Life by Smiles, Not Tears”
Teach a Parrot to Say ‘Supply and Demand’ and You Have an Economist
Thomas Carlyle? Irving Fisher? Joseph Schumpeter? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a humorous saying about parrots and economists that is often attributed to the philosopher and satirist Thomas Carlyle. Sometimes the joke is simply ascribed to Anonymous. Here are three versions: 1: Teach a parrot the terms ‘supply and demand’ and you’ve got an …
Continue reading “Teach a Parrot to Say ‘Supply and Demand’ and You Have an Economist”