Noah Webster? Samuel Johnson? Chauncey Depew? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a ribald anecdote about one of the world’s greatest dictionary makers that I would like you to explore. The tale claims that the lexicographer Noah Webster had a secret libertine inclination. One day his wife returned home and was shocked to discover him …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
The Budget Should Be Balanced; The Treasury Should Be Refilled
Marcus Tullius Cicero? Taylor Caldwell? Otto E. Passman? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: In 2011 a host on the cable channel CNN said this:[1]2011 November 12 at 9:30 ET, Transcript for CNN cable channel broadcast, Program name: Your Bottom Line, Host of program: Christine Romans, (Excerpt spoken by Christine Romans), (Accessed CNN … Continue reading Is America …
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The Common Law Consists of About Half A Dozen Obvious Propositions, But Unfortunately …
Judge Dowdall? William Pickford? Lord Sterndale? Anonymous? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Some lawyers take pride in their use of rigorous logical and legal reasoning. I once heard a hilarious remark about the body of law accumulated over the centuries. I do not remember the exact wording, but it was something like this: The entire body …
I Would Rather Walk With a Friend in the Dark Than Alone in the Light
Helen Keller? Anne Sullivan? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Helen Keller was once asked about the price she would pay to gain the sense of sight. Her reported response was thoughtful and poignant: I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than walk alone in the light. What were the circumstances surrounding this quotation? …
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There Are Three Rules for the Writing of a Novel
W. Somerset Maugham? Oscar Wilde? Mark Twain? Bret Harte? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: With the rapid growth of ebooks it seems that everyone is writing a book. Here is the funniest advice I have heard on this topic: There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. Several prominent …
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Abstract Art: A Product of the Untalented, Sold by the Unprincipled to the Utterly Bewildered
Al Capp? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The cartoonist Al Capp was famous for creating the long-running comic strip Li’l Abner. During the 1960s he reportedly described abstract art with the following amusing and acerbic phrase: A product of the untalented sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered. Today this description could be applied to …
As Soon as Government Management Begins It Upsets the Natural Equilibrium of Industrial Relations
Adam Smith? Everett Dean Martin? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Multiple books and websites attribute the following quotation to the influential economic thinker Adam Smith, but I think the ascription is incorrect: As soon as government management begins it upsets the natural equilibrium of industrial relations, and each interference only requires further bureaucratic control until the …
Beatles Rejection: We Don’t Like Their Sound. Groups of Guitars Are On Their Way Out
Hunter Davies? Mike Smith? Dick Rowe? Brian Epstein? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: In the early days of the Beatles a record executive evaluated the band to decide whether to offer them a contract. He supposedly said: We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out. I have heard some other simpler …
I Never Forget a Face, But I’ll Make an Exception in Your Case
Groucho Marx? Alan Gale? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: When I am at a party I sometimes have trouble recalling the name of a person I have met before. But my recalcitrant memory has no difficulty remembering the line credited to Groucho Marx: I never forget a face, but in your case I’d be glad to …
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“What Do You Think of Western Civilization?” “I Think It Would Be a Good Idea”
Mohandas Gandhi? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Mahatma Gandhi is credited with a brilliantly acerbic remark made in response to a question from a self-satisfied journalist: Journalist: What do you think of Western civilization? Gandhi: I think it would be a good idea. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any solid citations for this …
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