Tracing Quotations
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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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 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Money Can’t Buy Love, But It Improves Your Bargaining Position”
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 …
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 …
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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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 …
Nancy Astor? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Recently, I saw the following comical remark attributed to the socialite and parliamentarian Lady Astor: We women do talk too much but even then we don’t tell half we know. Is this ascription accurate? Reply from Quote Investigator: Nancy Astor was an important political pioneer as the first …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: We Women Do Talk Too Much, But Even Then We Don’t Tell Half We Know”
Ernest Cassel? Bernard Baruch? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: There is an entertaining quotation about the changing labels that were applied to a famous financier. He was successively called a gambler, a speculator, and a banker, although he did not significantly change his methods. Do you know who crafted this humorous description of transformation? Reply …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Then I Was Known as a Speculator”
Yogi Berra? Ken Thompson? Bobby Bragan? Muriel Vernick? Danny Osinski? Andy Wimpfheimer? George Carlin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a comical tale about whether a pizza should be cut into six or eight slices. The punchline is typically attributed to an athlete such as Yogi Berra. Are you familiar with this joke? Would …
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Oscar Wilde? G. K. Chesterton? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I saw the following remark on the webpage of an educator: Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace. The phrase was attributed to Oscar Wilde, but I have not been able to find it in his oeuvre. It was listed on websites like Goodreads …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Art, Like Morality, Consists of Drawing the Line Somewhere”