H. L. Mencken? Robert E. Adams? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Acerbic commentator H. L. Mencken has received credit for a figurative remark that mentions military bands and military cooks. Yet, I have been unable to find a solid citation. Would you please examine this topic? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1942 H. L. …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Quote Origin: We Attend the Openings of Envelopes
Andy Warhol? Sylvia Miles? Wayland Flowers? Jack O’Brian? Rex Reed? Olivia Goldsmith? Ivana Trump? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The opening of an exciting theatrical production or an innovative art museum can be a prestigious event with an impressive guest list. Yet, many openings are weary exercises in public relations with unremarkable attendees. A self-promoter …
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Quote Origin: I Am a Lie That Always Tells the Truth
Jean Cocteau? Pablo Picasso? Herbert V. Prochnow? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The life mission of an artist is paradoxical. Masterpieces are not subservient to narrow facticity. Representing truths and insights requires the imaginative transformation of raw materials. Here are two versions of an energizing maxim for artists: The saying above has been attributed to …
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Quote Origin: A Facility for Quotation Covers the Absence of Original Thought
Dorothy L. Sayers? Lord Peter Wimsey? Harriet Vane? Philip Broadley? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I have found the perfect sardonic motto for the QI website: A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought. According to the “Encarta Book of Quotations” these words were spoken by the character Lord Peter Wimsey in the …
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Quote Origin: Art Is a Lie That Makes Us Realize Truth
Pablo Picasso? Jean Cocteau? Dorothy Allison? Henry A. Murray? Peter De Vries? Albert Camus? Julie Burchill? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Art works such as novels, paintings, and sculptures embody a stylized and distorted representation of the world. Yet, deep truths can best be expressed by deviating from the straitjacket of verisimilitude. Here are four …
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Quote Origin: If I Cease Becoming Better, I Shall Soon Cease To Be Good
Oliver Cromwell? John Andrewes? Earl of Chichester? Mark Antony Lower? Viscount Fauconberg? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A popular saying extols continuous improvement. Here are four versions: This saying has been credited to the controversial English military and political leader Oliver Cromwell. Would you please explore this adage? Reply from Quote Investigator: This adage was …
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Quote Origin: Don’t Be So Humble—You’re Not That Great
Golda Meir? Simcha Dinitz? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A humble brag is a statement that on its surface appears to be modest or self-deprecating; however, the true intent is to highlight a success or achievement. The funniest response I have seen to these types of comments is the following: Don’t act so humble; you …
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Quote Origin: It Is Easy To Predict an Automobile in 1880; It Is Very Hard To Predict a Traffic Problem
Frederik Pohl? Robert Heinlein? Isaac Asimov? Connie Willis? Ed Bryant? George Zebrowski? Ben Bova? Robert J. Sawyer? Sam Moskowitz? Question for Quote Investigator: Predicting the primary effects of a new technology is difficult but feasible. Anticipating all the secondary effects is nearly impossible. Here are two statements of a viewpoint that has achieved popularity amongst …
Quote Origin: It Is Difficult, After Knowing Opium, To Take Earth Seriously
Jean Cocteau? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The prominent French artist Jean Cocteau crafted the most insightful remark about addiction that I have ever read. Some drugs permanently shift one’s perception of pleasure and purpose in the world. Would you please help me to find Cocteau’s comment about the difficulty of taking the world seriously …
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Quote Origin: No One Really Listens To Anyone Else, and If You Try It for a While You’ll See Why
Mignon McLaughlin? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Imagine reading a constructive, entertaining, and edifying discussion thread on social media. If you travel through the looking glass you can envision six impossible things before breakfast. Now, imagine reading an unconstructive, mind-numbing, and obscurantist exchange. This latter possibility reminds me of a rueful remark from the famous …