Tracing Quotations
Damon Runyon? W. C. Fields? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The famous Broadway show “Guys and Dolls” was based on stories and characters from the pen of journalist Damon Runyon. Apparently, he was once asked about his favorite motto, and he presented the following: Never blame the booster for what the sucker does. Would you please …
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Alan Turing? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The best way to learn computer programming is by seeing examples, writing code, and executing programs. Trying to learn solely through a book is quite difficult. This viewpoint has been credited to the pioneering computer scientist Alan Turing. I am uncertain about this attribution because Turing died in 1954, …
H. L. Mencken? Jack Dempsey? Peg Bracken? Bennett Cerf? Alexander Woollcott? Stewart Holbrook? William Safire? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Forceful newspaper columnists often receive opinionated and hostile responses. There is a powerful temptation to send a sharp retort. Yet, one famous journalist typically replied with a brief disarming note: Dear Sir (or Madam ), You …
Brandon Sanderson? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: An acclaimed fantasy and science fiction author recently raised an enormous amount of money via a crowdfunding platform. In response to this record-breaking success, the author humorously referred to living in a fantasy world. Would you please help me to find a citation? Quote Investigator: U.S. fantasy author Brandon …
Continue reading “I’m Supposed To Write Fantasy Worlds, Not Live In Them”
Voltaire? Lewis Carroll? George Sand? François-Marie Arouet? C. L. Dodgson? Aurore Dupin Dudevant? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The following remark perfectly encapsulates a world-weary perspective: I have seen so many extraordinary things, nothing seems extraordinary any more. This expression has been attributed to three people who employed pseudonyms: witty philosopher Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet), fantasy author …
Alex Haley? Madison Babcock? William Paton Ker? Charles W. Leadbeater? Jesse Owens? Nathan Rotenstreich? Ovid? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Cynicism and pessimism are commonplace. Yet, an alternative optimistic attitude has been expressed with the following saying: Find the good and praise it. This precept has been attributed to bestselling U.S. author Alex Haley and others. …
Mark Twain? Will Rogers? Ring Lardner? James A. Cruikshank? T. Morris Longstreth? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Two famous humorists, Mark Twain and Will Rogers, have each received credit for a statement about the variability of weather. Here are four instances: (1) If you don’t like our weather, wait a minute. (2) If you don’t like …
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W. I. E. Gates? Edward Latham? Bihar Proverb? Washburn Hopkins? R. H. Halsey? Bolton Hall? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Statistical averages can be misleading. The maximum and minimum values are not specified when only an average is presented. Here are three versions of a pertinent adage: (1) A person can drown while crossing a stream …
Nikola Tesla? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The electrical engineer Nikola Tesla became famous via his inventions in the domains of alternating current and wireless communication. Apparently, he disliked broadcast radio programs. He considered radio to be a nuisance and a distraction which impeded his concentration. Would you please help me to find a citation? Quote …
Continue reading “The Radio Is a Distraction and Keeps You from Concentrating”
Clive Barnes? Richard Bentley? Charles Hayward? John Francis Hope? A. Walkely? Wolcott Gibbs? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: One-line theatrical reviews are simultaneously hilarious and unfairly dismissive. A grumpy critic who saw the Broadway show “Smile, Smile, Smile” responded with “I Didn’t, I Didn’t, I Didn’t”. Another disgruntled critic saw “A Terrible Night” and declared “Quite …
Continue reading “Short Reviews: “Smile, Smile, Smile” “I Didn’t, I Didn’t, I Didn’t””