Robert Frost? Margaret Thatcher? Dwight D. Eisenhower? Aneurin Bevan? Franklin P. Jones? I. P. Reynolds? Eric Nicol? John M. Ashbrook? William Penn Patrick? Sydney Harris? Alan Craig Loughrige? Jim Hightower? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Social relationships and political decisions often entail compromise. Yet, these intermediary policies, i.e., middle-of-the-road positions, frequently engender hostility. Here is a …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Quote Origin: Every Time I See an Adult on a Bicycle, I No Longer Despair for the Future of the Human Race
H. G. Wells? Robert Silverman? Diane Ackerman? Carie Dann? Heathcote Williams? Ali Smith? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Apparently, the famous science fiction author H. G. Wells was a bicycle enthusiast. Here are three versions of a remark that has been credited to him: Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no …
Quote Origin: Consistency Is the Last Refuge of the Unimaginative
Oscar Wilde? James McNeill Whistler? Ralph Waldo Emerson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Being consistent is important in life. Yet, additional knowledge and experience motivates new thoughts and behaviors. The following adage criticizes the straitjacket of excessive consistency: Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. The famous Irish wit Oscar Wilde has received credit …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Consistency Is the Last Refuge of the Unimaginative”
Quote Origin: During My Life I Have Often Had To Eat My Own Words, and I Have Found Them a Wholesome Diet
Winston Churchill? Isabel Vernon? Walter Monckton? John W. Wheeler-Bennett? Katherine Ramsay? Earl of Swinton? Lord Normanbrook? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: According to legend a prominent political figure was planning to reverse a long-held policy, and a colleague disapproved while warning, “You would be required to eat your own words.” The figure replied, “I have …
Quote Origin: If They Don’t Give You a Seat at the Table, Bring in a Folding Chair
Shirley Chisholm? Donna Brazile? Barbara Lee? Giovanni Piccolino? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A politician who advocated for inclusive decision-making used the following metaphorical expression to encourage activists to demand representation: If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring in a folding chair. This saying has been attributed to U.S. Congress member …
Quote Origin: You Did What You Knew How To Do, and When You Knew Better, You Did Better
Maya Angelou? Oprah Winfrey? Phil McGraw? Gary Zukav? Ernest Rogers? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Life requires a complicated incremental process of learning. Agonizing mistakes are inevitable. Here are two versions of a heartfelt response to setbacks: (1) You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. (2) …
Quote Origin: It Is Better To Take What Does Not Belong To You Than To Let It Lie Around Neglected
Mark Twain? Merle Johnson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Mark Twain has received credit for the following slyly comical remark justifying thievery: It is better to take what does not belong to you than to let it lie around neglected. I have not found this statement in any of the stories or essays authored by Twain. …
Quote Origin: If You Walk Far Enough You’ll Meet Yourself
Terry Pratchett? Marion Woodman? Joseph Campbell? David Mitchell? Vina Howland? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a family of sayings with a surrealistic twist. Here are three instances: (1) If you walk far enough you’ll meet yourself. (2) Walk far enough and you will meet yourself, coming the other way. (3) If you travel …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: If You Walk Far Enough You’ll Meet Yourself”
Dialogue Origin: “Are You With the Show?” “Well, Let’s Just Say I’m Not Against It”
George S. Kaufman? Dick Cavett? Howard Dietz? Leonard Lyons? Howard Teichmann? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent theater producer was unhappy with the tryout performance of a show that he was funding. A stagehand did not recognize the producer which led to the following dialog: “Are you with the show?” “No, I’m against it!” …
Quote Origin: What Sort of Philosophers Are We Who Know Absolutely Nothing of the Origin and Destiny of Cats?
Henry David Thoreau? Grace Goodman Mauran? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The essayist and transcendentalist philosopher Henry David Thoreau found cats intriguing. He was disappointed that humanity knew “absolutely nothing of the origin and destiny of cats.” Would you please help me to find a citation for this remark about cats? Reply from Quote Investigator: …