Tracing Quotations
Oscar Wilde? James McNeill Whistler? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I would like to learn more about a famous anecdote involving James McNeill Whistler, the painter who is known for his iconic portrait of his mother. Apparently, Whistler was able to trump Oscar Wilde, one of the greatest wits of the nineteenth century who was …
Continue reading “Dialogue Origin: “I Wish I Had Said That” “You Will, Oscar, You Will””
Winston Churchill? Copywriter for Budweiser Beer? George F. Tilton? Sam Rayburn? Joe Paterno? John Wooden? Mike Ditka? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Here are two versions of stirring words that are often attributed to the well-known statesman Winston Churchill: Success is never final and failure never fatal. It’s courage that counts. Success is not final; …
Frank Lloyd Wright? William Faulkner? The Elder Gross? Charles Seiberling? Charles Douville Coburn? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The celebrated and innovative architect Frank Lloyd Wright is credited with the following remark about alcohol consumption: A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches the age of 50, and a fool if he …
George W. Loomis? Percy C. Buck? Harold Craxton? Julie Andrews? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The creator of the following insightful saying was listed as unknown: Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice until you can’t get it wrong. While searching for background information I came across this interesting variation: Amateurs practice till they …
Albert Einstein? Charles Darwin? Maurice Maeterlinck? E. O. Wilson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A dramatic quotation about the dangers of environmental upheaval is attributed to the brilliant physicist Albert Einstein. Here are two versions: If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. …
Oscar Wilde? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I saw an article on the web about brilliant repartee that listed the “Top 10 Best Comebacks”. One of the response lines was from the famous wit Oscar Wilde who addressed an audience from the stage after the performance of a play he had written. The acclamation for …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Every Time I Smell It, I Shall Be Reminded of You”
Winston Churchill? Liane Cordes? Liane Cardes? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: On two popular websites with large collections of quotations I found an appealing statement ascribed to the famous statesman Winston Churchill: Continuous effort — not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential. No citations were provided, and I have been …
Mae West? Aristophanes? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Screenwriter and sex symbol Mae West is usually credited with the following ribald line: Is that a pistol in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me? But I have seen many variations of this comical remark: Can you determine which joke is the original …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Is That a Gun in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Glad to See Me?”
Henry Kissinger? Wallace Sayre? Charles Frankel? Samuel Johnson? Jesse Unruh? Courtney Brown? Laurence J. Peter? Question for Quote Investigator: The following saying is often attributed to the prominent U.S. foreign policy figure and Nobel laureate Henry Kissinger: Academic politics are so vicious precisely because the stakes are so small. But I have also seen it …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Academic Politics Are So Vicious Because the Stakes Are So Small”
Edgar Allan Poe? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: On a popular website I saw an intriguing list of “Indispensable Writing Tips from Famous Authors”. The following words were attributed to Edgar Allan Poe, the master of mystery and the macabre: A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it. …