Tracing Quotations
Mark Twain? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Recently, I encountered an insightful quotation about courage attributed to Mark Twain that I had not seen before: Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, and not the absence of fear. Is this a genuine Twain quotation? Where did it appear? Reply from Quote Investigator: In December …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Courage Is Resistance To Fear, Mastery of Fear—Not Absence of Fear”
Kurt Vonnegut? Larry L. King? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The quotations and misquotations discussed on this website have typically been attributed to famous people. My inquiry is different. I would like you to explore a ubiquitous quotation describing a famous person. The prominent satirist and science fiction author Kurt Vonnegut has been called a …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Kurt Vonnegut Is a Laughing Prophet of Doom”
Tom Stoppard? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The world of social media highlights upvotes, shares, and retweets. Many marketers, influencers, and politicians adhere to the following axiom: It’s better to be quotable than honest. Would you please explore the provenance of this expression? Reply from Quote Investigator: British playwright Tom Stoppard has earned an Academy …
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Erica Jong? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Humor is a helpful tool for understanding and accepting events that are difficult to process emotionally such as divorce or death. I think the U.S. novelist Erica Jong made an observation similar to this. Would you please help me to locate her comment? Reply from Quote Investigator: In …
William Ralph Inge? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Every day brings a new social media uproar. I am reminded of the apothegmatic claim that public opinion is an anonymous tyrant. Would you please explore the provenance of this saying? Reply from Quote Investigator: The influential British commentator William Ralph Inge was the Dean of St …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Public Opinion Is a Vulgar, Impertinent, Anonymous Tyrant”
Margaret Atwood? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Foolish actions can lead to disastrous results. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the actions of a stupid individual versus a malevolent individual. The prominent Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood once made a statement of this type. Would you please help me to find it? Reply …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Stupidity Is the Same as Evil If You Judge by the Results”
Arthur C. Clarke? Gerard K. O’Neill? Apocryphal Question for Quote Investigator: The famous science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke was optimistic concerning the ability of human ingenuity to transcend current limitations. He believed that future technologies would overcome raw material shortages. The only constraint he feared was a lack of engaged human brains. Would you …
Who Made the Criticism: Dorothy Parker? Blanca Holmes? Vincent Sheean? Sidney Skolsky? Anonymous? Who Was Being Criticized: Alan Campbell? Lloyd George? Orson Welles? Question for Quote Investigator: A person who is tough and adaptable is able to absorb setbacks in life and continue onward. This capability is represented metaphorically by a tumbler who lands upright. …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: No Matter What Happens He Will Land On Someone Else’s Feet”
P. J. Faulkner? W. Buck Taylor? Bennett Cerf? Eric Partridge? Mary Morris? William Morris? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A shaggy dog story is a rambling tale consisting of largely inconsequential events that ends with an anticlimax or an unfunny punchline. Would you please explore the origin of the shaggy dog story? Reply from Quote …
Nigel Rees? Stephen Fry? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: This website contains numerous examples of quotations that have been reassigned from anonymous or forgotten individuals to famous figures. The general phenomenon has been designated “Churchillian Drift” because of the large number of sayings that have been incorrectly attributed to Winston Churchill. Would you please explore …