Mark Twain? Humphry Davy? Robert G. Ingersoll? Cato the Elder? Hugh M‘Neile? Cassius Marcellus Clay? Thomas Fuller? Question for Quote Investigator: A person of great merit may not receive any recognition while an unworthy person may receive numerous accolades. This perverse disconnection has inspired the following ethical stance: It is better to deserve honors and …
Category Archives: Thomas Fuller
Quote Origin: Love, Anger, Sorrow, and a Cough Cannot Be Hid
Dorothy L. Sayers? George Eliot? Thomas Fuller? George Herbert? George Latimer Apperson? Anonymous? Question for 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 …
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Whoever First Ate an Oyster Was a Brave Soul
Jonathan Swift? Benjamin Franklin? Shirley Chisholm? Thomas Moffett? John Ward? King James I of England? Thomas Fuller? John Gay? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: During a commencement address I heard the following vivid advice offered to students: Be as bold as the first man or woman to eat an oyster. Apparently, the famous Irish literary figure …
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A Stumble Is Not a Fall
Malcolm X? Oprah Winfrey? Haitian Proverb? Portuguese Proverb? Henry Rich? Thomas Fuller? Thomas Dunn English? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: While pursuing an objective one may make errors and suffer setbacks, but these impediments to progress are not insurmountable. Here are two versions of an analogical proverb offering encouragement: Stumbling is not falling. A stumble is …
The Early Bird Catcheth the Worme
William Camden? Thomas Fuller? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: People who enjoy waking up early in the morning and going to work cite the following adage: The early bird gets the worm. Would you please explore the history of this expression? Quote Investigator: English historian William Camden published “Remaines Concerning Britaine” in the 17th century, and …
Quote Origin: If You Don’t Read the Newspaper You Are Uninformed, If You Do Read the Newspaper You Are Misinformed
Mark Twain? Denzel Washington? Thomas Jefferson? Thomas Fuller? Orville Hubbard? Ezra Taft Benson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A cynical attitude toward the media is widespread today, but this is not a new development. Supposedly, Mark Twain made the following remark: If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the …
They Which Play with the Devils Rattles, Will Be Brought by Degrees to Wield His Sword
Buckminster Fuller? Thomas Fuller? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The prominent inventor and author Buckminster Fuller has been linked to an uncharacteristic quotation: Those who play with the devil’s toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword. Would you please determine whether he wrote and said this remark? Quote Investigator: QI has located no …
Quote Origin: Either Write Things Worth Reading or Do Things Worth the Writing
Benjamin Franklin? Thomas Fuller? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: If you wish to be remembered by posterity in a literate culture you have two options: 1) Write something that people wish to read. 2) Do something grand that inspires people to write. The famous statesman Benjamin Franklin has a secure place in history for both …
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