Tracing Quotations
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 …
Donald M. Richardson? Olwyn Orde Browne? T. K. Steele? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: When I was a child I heard a circular story, i.e., a story that was designed to be repeated. The details are hazy, but I know there was a duel and a character named Zanzibar. Would you please help me to …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: You Killed My Brother. We Must Have a Duel”
Antonio? Canfield and Carlton? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Experimental fiction and metafiction became influential in literary circles during the 1960s and 1970s. Yet, I recall a playful story from the beginning of the twentieth century that used recursion. A character named Antonio presented a comically nested tale to a group of brigands. Would you …
Bernard Malamud? Albert Camus? Harris Wofford? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Having a grand mission to achieve with your life helps to generate a powerful motivational force. Apparently, one scribe asserted that: The purpose of the writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself. This remark has been credited to the famous existential philosopher Albert …
Albert Camus? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Nuclear and biological warfare present ongoing existential risks for mankind. Environmental degradation presents another set of risks. The crucial task for this generation is to prevent the world from destroying itself. Apparently, the French existentialist philosopher Albert Camus highlighted this task of self-preservation back in the 1950s. Would …