Love, Anger, Sorrow, and a Cough Cannot Be Hid

Dorothy L. Sayers? George Eliot? Thomas Fuller? George Herbert? George Latimer Apperson? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The ongoing pandemic reminded me of an eccentric proverb I once heard: Love and a cough cannot be hidden. The prominent mystery wrote Dorothy L. Sayers once referred to a statement like this. Would you please explore the history …

Living Well Is the Best Revenge

Collector: Collected and published by George Herbert in 1640 Context: Perhaps you have suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. The adage above suggests that you should persevere to achieve success and enjoyment. In 1640 George Herbert’s compilation of “Outlandish Proverbs” appeared in London. Here is a small miscellaneous selection of expressions from the …

If I Shoot at the Sun, I May Hit a Star

P. T. Barnum? Britney Spears? George Herbert? Jane Russell? W. Clement Stone? Ralph Waldo Emerson? Norman Vincent Peale? Les Brown? John McEnroe? Dear Quote Investigator: There exists a collection of sayings that uses celestial bodies to illustrate advice about setting goals. Here are three examples: If I shoot at the sun, I may hit a …