Quote Origin: Part Went for Liquor, Part for Women; The Rest I Spent Foolishly

Channing Pollock? George Raft? Tug McGraw? Stan Bowles? George Best? Question for Quote Investigator: George Raft was my favorite film star from the Golden Age of Hollywood. He often played gangsters and was memorable in “Some Like it Hot”. Raft was known for his high income in Tinseltown and for his wild profligacy. The quotation …

Quote Origin: Better to Remain Silent and Be Thought a Fool than to Speak and Remove All Doubt

Abraham Lincoln? Mark Twain? Biblical Proverb? Maurice Switzer? Arthur Burns? John Maynard Keynes? Confucius? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Here are two versions of an entertaining saying that is often credited to Abraham Lincoln or Mark Twain: Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt. It’s …

Maxim Origin: Time is Money

Benjamin Franklin? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: As an entrepreneur I marvel at the wisdom and concision of the following maxim: Time is money. This is usually credited to Benjamin Franklin, but I have become skeptical about attributions after reading this blog. So, I performed my own  exploration for this saying and determined that …

Joke Origin: I Can Tell You in Two Words: Im Possible

Samuel Goldwyn? Charlie Chaplin? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Samuel Goldwyn, the Hollywood studio chief, was famous for his creatively humorous speech errors. A famous actor once asked if he could be in one of Goldwyn’s new productions. But Goldwyn did not like the actor, and he supposedly said: I can answer you in two …

Quote Origin: These Are My Principles. If You Don’t Like Them I Have Others

Groucho Marx? American Legislator? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: My favorite quip attributed to Groucho Marx is perfect for describing some politicians: These are my principles. If you don’t like them I have others. Was Groucho impersonating a politician when he said this? Reply from Quote Investigator: It is not clear whether Groucho did employ …

Quote Origin: If You Remember the ’60s, You Really Weren’t There

Robin Williams? Charlie Fleischer? Paul Krassner? Paul Kantner? Grace Slick? Question for Quote Investigator: I lived through the 1960s, but the only thing I remember about it is the following quotation: If you can remember the 1960s, you weren’t really there. Does anyone recall who said this? Reply from Quote Investigator: Yes, many people think …

Quote Origin: How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall? Practice!

Jascha Heifetz? Arthur Rubinstein? Generic Maestro? Question for Quote Investigator: How old is that classic joke about one of New York City’s landmark venues? How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. Reply from Quote Investigator: Tracing jokes can be difficult because they can be told in so many ways. Etymologist Barry Popik …

Quote Origin: Two Things Are Infinite: The Universe and Human Stupidity

Albert Einstein? Frederick S. Perls? Anonymous? A Great Astronomer? Question for Quote Investigator: I saw a comic strip that contained a quotation that is usually attributed to Einstein: Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe! I am skeptical because I have not seen a solid citation. …

Quote Origin: Time Flies Like an Arrow; Fruit Flies Like a Banana

Groucho Marx? Anthony Oettinger? Susumu Kuno? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The simile “Time flies like an arrow” compares the rapidity of the passage of time to the quickness of a darting arrow. However, there exist alternative interpretations of the phrase. Here are two possibilities: (1) A particular type of flies called “time flies” are …

Quote Origin: This Book Fills a Much-Needed Gap – Part 02

Gary Cooper? Lee Neuwirth? Henry Miller? Moses Hadas? Question for Quote Investigator: I was told that a prominent journal editor would sometimes write a rejection letter to an author that said his or her “paper fills a much-needed gap”. Is this true? Reply from Quote Investigator: This post continues the investigation of the phrase “much …