Mark Twain? Oxford Student? Frenchman? Lewis Carroll? Schoolchild? G. K. Chesterton? Israel Zangwill? Charles Lamb? Benjamin Jowett? Aldous Huxley? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Determining the accurate provenance of famous plays and poems can be a contentious topic. According to tradition the composer of the Iliad and Odyssey has been referred to as Homer, but …
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Quote Origin: Originality Is Undetected Plagiarism
Voltaire? William Ralph Inge? Herbert Paul? Paul Chatfield? Horace Smith? Katharine Fullerton Gerould? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I have been attempting to trace a provocative and humorous remark about originality that has been attributed to a professor at the University of Cambridge named William Ralph Inge: Originality is undetected plagiarism. Would you please help? …
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Quote Origin: There Are Two Lasting Bequests We Can Give Our Children: Roots and Wings
Henry Ward Beecher? Jonas Salk? Hodding Carter? Wise Woman? Ronald Reagan? Jean W. Rindlaub? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The goals of child rearing have sometimes been explicated using two vivid metaphors: roots and wings. This contrasting figurative language presents a powerful though oddly incongruous combination: Parents should provide their children with roots and wings. …
Quote Origin: If You Can’t Say Something Good About Someone, Sit Right Here by Me
Dorothy Parker? Alice Roosevelt Longworth? Earl Wilson? Robert Harling? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The most trenchant comment pertaining to gossip that I have ever heard is often attributed to the wit Dorothy Parker. The quip is based on altering the following conventional instruction on etiquette: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t …
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Quote Origin: Can’t Act; Slightly Bald; Can Dance a Little
Studio Report? David O. Selznick? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The celebrated movie star Fred Astaire was known for his charm and his extraordinary dancing, but his initial screen test was a disaster. Hollywood legend claims that the studio report evaluating Astaire contained the following line: Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a …
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Quote Origin: Money Can’t Buy Love, But It Improves Your Bargaining Position
Christopher Marlowe? Laurence J. Peter? Evan Esar? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Christopher Marlowe was a brilliant poet and dramatist of the 1500s whose works influenced the luminary William Shakespeare. I was astonished to find the following statement attributed to him: Money can’t buy love, but it improves your bargaining position. In my opinion, this …
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Quote Origin: The Price of Fame Is Not Being Able to Go to the Pub for a Quiet Pint
John Lennon? Philip Norman? Bill Harry? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Today paparazzi stalk celebrities, and gossip websites shriek about every misstep or manufactured scandal. But the struggle of living in a fishbowl is not new for well-known individuals. In the 1960s after the Beatles became famous, John Lennon reportedly feared that he would cause …
Quote Origin: The Three Major Administrative Problems Are Sex for the Students, Athletics for the Alumni and Parking for the Faculty
Clark Kerr? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The most candid and blunt statement I have ever heard attributed to a university administrator was reportedly spoken in the 1950s: The chancellor’s job is to provide parking for the faculty, and athletics for the alumni, and sex for the students. Is this a genuine statement from the …
Quote Origin: A Different World Cannot Be Built By Indifferent People
Peter Marshall? E. W. Palmer? Mary Morain? Stanley Sykes? Horace Mann? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Would you please explore the provenance of the following inspirational quotation? A different world cannot be built by indifferent people. These words are often attributed to someone named Peter Marshall, but I have seen other individuals credited. Reply from …
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Quote Origin: The Difference Between Stupidity and Genius Is That Genius Has Its Limits
Albert Einstein? Alexandre Dumas, fils? Elbert Hubbard? Brooks F. Beebe? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The following funny saying is usually attributed to Albert Einstein: The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. Yet, no one provides any justification for crediting the brilliant scientist with this jest. Is this another fake …