Drake? Lawrence T. Holman? Chet Huntley? Katharine Ross? Rose Tremain? Wayne Dyer? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: William Shakespeare said “All the world’s a stage”, and the metaphor of life as a theatrical performance has a very long history. The quotation that interests me fits in this metaphorical framework, but I think it was coined …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Quote Origin: Give a Girl the Right Shoes and She Can Conquer the World
Marilyn Monroe? Bette Midler? Anonymous? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a picture on several Pinterest pinboards and Tumblrs that shows a young girl walking in oversized shoes with the following quotation superimposed on the image Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world. —Marilyn Monroe A recent article on …
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Quote Origin: When I Saw You I Fell in Love, and You Smiled Because You Knew
William Shakespeare? Arrigo Boito? Jeane Westin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I have a question about a quotation depicting communication between lovers. The following words are often ascribed to William Shakespeare: When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew. Sometimes the play Romeo and Juliet is named as the …
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Quote Origin: They Asked Me What I Wanted To Be When I Grew Up. I Said ‘Happy’
John Lennon? Charles Schulz? Goldie Hawn? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Did musical superstar John Lennon really tell the following story about his childhood? When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be …
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Quote Origin: The Secret of Change Is to Focus All of Your Energy, Not on Fighting the Old, But on Building the New
Socrates? Dan Millman? All-Night Gas-Station Attendant? Nick Nolte? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A friend recently offered me a piece of advice that he thought reflected ancient wisdom: The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. These words were attributed to Socrates, …
Quote Origin: Gold Gets Dug Out of the Ground; Then We Melt It Down, Dig Another Hole, Bury It Again
Warren Buffett? Frank Fellinger? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The funniest and most perceptive comment about the precious metal gold is attributed to the super-investor Warren Buffett: Gold gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or some place. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to …
Quote Origin: The Cave You Fear to Enter Holds the Treasure You Seek
Joseph Campbell? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Joseph Campbell was renowned for teaching about the mythologies of many cultures. The following statement is often ascribed to him: The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. I have looked through several of his books and have not located this quote. Did he say …
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Quote Origin: A Kick in the Teeth May Be the Best Thing in the World for You
Walt Disney? Diane Disney Miller? Pete Martin? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Animator, producer, and entrepreneur Walt Disney suffered many setbacks before he became a world-famous entertainer. For example, he founded the Laugh-O-Gram company to make animated films in Missouri, and the pioneering studio ended up in bankruptcy. Disney learned from his mistakes and persevered, …
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Quote Origin: You Are Astonished. I Am Surprised
Noah Webster? Samuel Johnson? Chauncey Depew? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: The Budget Should Be Balanced; The Treasury Should Be Refilled
Marcus Tullius Cicero? Taylor Caldwell? Otto E. Passman? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: In 2011 a host on the cable channel CNN said this: Is America still the land of opportunity, or is it Rome before the fall? You decide. Cicero is believed to have said something like this in 55 B.C. “The arrogance of …
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