Tracing Quotations
Abraham Lincoln? Emperor Sigismund? Martin Luther King? Loretta Young? Mark Twain? Cardinal Richelieu? Robert Jones Burdette? John Wooden? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The leader of a victorious group decided to treat the vanquished people with compassion. Critics of the leader were unhappy because they believed that the enemies deserved destruction. Here are three versions of …
Continue reading “I Destroy My Enemies When I Make Them My Friends”
Benjamin Franklin? Mark Twain? Christopher Bullock? Edward Ward? Daniel Defoe? Joseph Reed? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Grumbling about paying taxes is nearly universal. Here are four versions of a pertinent saying: The U.S. statesman Benjamin Franklin and the humorist Mark Twain have received credit for this remark. Would you please explore this topic? Reply …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Nothing Is Certain, Except Death and Taxes”
Oscar Wilde? Jacques Joseph Duguet? Claude Joseph Dorat? Henry Ward Beecher? Gaspard Dughet? H. Jackson Brown? John Burroughs? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Hoping and dreaming are not enough; taking action is crucial. Here are two pertinent statements: The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention. The smallest act of kindness is worth more than …
Continue reading “The Smallest Good Deed Is Better Than the Grandest Good Intention”
Marvin Minsky? Joseph Weizenbaum? Pamela McCorduck? Edward Fredkin? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Within computer science the discipline of artificial intelligence (AI) is focused on analyzing and constructing entities that display advanced cognitive behaviors. These entities are designed to learn, solve problems, and achieve goals. Critics of the field contend that machines cannot embody genuine intelligence …
Robert Frost? Anita Brookner? Thucydides? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The famous poet Robert Frost enjoyed socializing with people who had strong personalities. He highlighted a connection between freedom and boldness. Would you please help me to find a citation? Quote Investigator: In December 1952 “The New Yorker” magazine published a piece by Philip Hamburger who …
Malcolm X? Charles Roppel? Mariel Hemingway? William Crosbie Hunter? Shannon L. Adler? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Some health problems can be ameliorated via collaborative action such as installing a water treatment facility, controlling a mosquito population, or reducing the transmission of a contagious disease. This notion can be expressed by using wordplay. When the letter …
Continue reading “If You Take the ‘I’ Out of Illness, and Add ‘We’, You End Up With Wellness”
Bertrand Russell? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The prominent intellectual Bertrand Russell apparently expressed in a private letter a deeply cynical viewpoint about humanity. He suggested that the oppressed simply wished to become the oppressors, and the populace competed to become criminals instead of victims. Would you please help me to find a citation? Quote Investigator: …
Continue reading “Life Is Nothing But a Competition To Be the Criminal Rather Than the Victim”
Edgar Allan Poe? Richard Rowland? Terry Ramsaye? Laurence Stallings? H. L. Mencken? William Gibbs McAdoo? Jack Oakie? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The leaders of a group often face a variety of criticisms. Harsh detractors employ a vivid metaphor from the domain of mental health. Here are two examples: The lunatics have taken over the asylum. …
Continue reading “The Lunatics Have Taken Charge of the Asylum”
Joseph Pulitzer? Alleyne Ireland? Lloyd Cory? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The famous newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer once described the writing style he required from his journalists. He demanded brief, clear, forceful, picturesque, and accurate prose. Would you please help me to find citation? Quote Investigator: Joseph Pulitzer was the publisher of “The New York World” …
Greek Proverb? Indian Proverb? Marcus Tullius Cicero? Joycelyn Elders? Warren Buffett? Hyacinthe Loyson? M. Trottier? Question for Quote Investigator: A popular adage praises people whose selfless actions are designed to benefit future generations. Here are two versions: Would you please explore the provenance of this saying? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match known to …