Tracing Quotations
Marcus Tullius Cicero? G. K. Chesterton? Henry Ward Beecher? Mrs. Ashton Yates? John Lubbock? William Forsyth? William Lucas Collins? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The most attractive room in a large house is the library. Here are three versions of a germane adage: (1) A house without books is like a body without a soul. …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: A House Without Books Is Like a Body Without a Soul”
Oscar Wilde? Jacques Joseph Duguet? Claude Joseph Dorat? Henry Ward Beecher? Gaspard Dughet? H. Jackson Brown? John Burroughs? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Hoping and dreaming are not enough; taking action is crucial. Here are two pertinent statements: Would you please examine this family of sayings? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Smallest Good Deed Is Better Than the Grandest Good Intention”
Henry Ward Beecher? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The famous nineteenth-century clergyman, social reformer, and orator Henry Ward Beecher offered some intriguingly modern health advice. He felt that people should “consult Doctor Sun more”. They should frequently enjoy the open air, sunlight, and rain. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from …
Giovanni Ruffini? Mustafa Kemal Atatürk? Charles Wiseman? Edward Bulwer-Lytton? Emir Abdelkader? Henry Ward Beecher? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Being a teacher is wonderfully fulfilling, but it is also exhausting. The following astute simile reflects this tension: A teacher is like a candle that consumes itself to light the way for others. This saying has …
Winston Churchill? Henry Ward Beecher? Professor Matthews? Elias J. MacEwan? Question for Quote Investigator: According to legend a young Member of Parliament approached Winston Churchill with a copy of an address he was planning to deliver and asked him how he could put more fire into it. Churchill responded: Put fire into this speech? I …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Put Fire Into This Speech? You Should Put This Speech Into the Fire”
Henry Ward Beecher? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Are you familiar with the amusing anecdote about an “April Fool” letter sent to the famous orator Henry Ward Beecher. Would you please examine the tale’s provenance? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest evidence known to QI was published on April 27, 1870 in the “Daily Evening …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Signed His Name With April Fool and Forgot to Write the Letter”
Henry Ward Beecher? Jonas Salk? Hodding Carter? Wise Woman? Ronald Reagan? Jean W. Rindlaub? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The goals of child rearing have sometimes been explicated using two vivid metaphors: roots and wings. This contrasting figurative language presents a powerful though oddly incongruous combination: Parents should provide their children with roots and wings. …