Dorothy Parker? John Keats? Richard L. Jenkins? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent witty woman once described three qualities she desired in a man. He must be handsome, ruthless, and stupid. This viewpoint has been ascribed to poet and critic Dorothy Parker. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from Quote …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Quote Origin: She is Happy, For She Knows That Her Dust Is Very Pretty
Dorothy Parker? Franklin Pierce Adams? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The notable wit Dorothy Parker constructed several epitaphs. I am interested in the following: She is happy, for she knowsThat her dust is very pretty. This topic is confusing because I’ve also seen a different version of these lines: She is happy, for she knowsThat …
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Quote Origin: Nothing Is More Impotent Than an Unread Library
John Waters? Austin Kleon? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Building a library is an enjoyable lifelong pursuit. Intellectually engaged people are often bibliomaniacs. Yet, many acquired volumes are never read. This behavior has been condemned and praised in two radically different statements that differ by a single word: (1) Nothing is more impotent than an …
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Quote Origin: Whoever Controls the Media, Controls the Mind
Jim Morrison? Andrew Doe? John Tobler? Francis E. Walter? Philip F. Pocock? E. S. James? Frank Lisciandro? Apocryphal Question for Quote Investigator: The activities of rock-n-roll star Jim Morrison received extensive newspaper and television coverage in the 1960s. He was alternately praised and condemned in the mass media. Apparently, he once stated: Whoever controls the …
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Quote Origin: That’s All Any of Us Are: Amateurs. We Don’t Live Long Enough To Be Anything Else
Charlie Chaplin? Nigel Bruce? Claire Bloom? Austin Kleon? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Before performing a new show or displaying a novel artwork it is natural to feel fear. Perhaps the audience will condemn you as an amateur. A famous comic actor crafted a brilliant remark about amateurism. It went something like this: Everyone is …
Maxim Origin: The Medium Is the Message
Marshall McLuhan? Ashley Montagu? Edmund Carpenter? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Canadian communications theorist Marshall McLuhan contemplated the influences of different types of media on human thought and behavior. He said that television was a cool medium because it was high in participation, whereas radio was a hot medium with low participation. He formulated the …
Quote Origin: Art Is Anything You Can Get Away With
Marshall McLuhan? Quentin Fiore? Frank Richardson? Terence Trent D’Arby? Theodor W. Adorno? Question for Quote Investigator: In 2019 the Italian conceptual artist and provocateur Maurizio Cattelan used duct tape to attach a banana to the wall of an art gallery. He dubbed the resultant artwork “Comedian”. After Cattelan sold the quasi-sculpture for a lucrative price …
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Quote Origin: You Are the Average of the Five People You Spend the Most Time With
Will Smith? Jim Rohn? Tim Ferriss? Jack Canfield? Janet Switzer? Daniel G. Amen? Loral Langemeier? Keith Cunningham? Ty Talcott? Scott Elliott? Paula Owens? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: You are deeply influenced by the actions and behaviors of your friends and companions. You consciously and unconsciously imitate what you perceive in your local environment. The …
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Quote Origin: Whoever Named It Necking Was a Poor Judge of Anatomy
Groucho Marx? Robert Quillen? Robert O. Ryder? Dorothy Uris? Evan Esar? Agro B. Arlo? Laurence J. Peter? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The informal term “necking” refers to kissing and caressing amorously. A comedian once said: Whoever called it necking was a poor judge of anatomy. Do you know who crafted this joke? Was it …
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Quote Origin: Life Is Thick Sown with Thorns, and I Know No Other Remedy Than To Pass Quickly Through Them
Voltaire? Louis Mayeul Chaudon? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The famous French writer Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet) apparently said something like: Life is bristling with thorns. One must travel through them quickly to minimize the pain and harm. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from Quote Investigator: Voltaire died in 1778, and …