George Bernard Shaw? Ogden Nash? Viva Begbie? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: I once heard the following humorous definition: Marriage — An alliance between two people: One can’t sleep with the window shut; the other can’t sleep with the window open. This definition has been attributed to the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw and the U.S. …
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There Is a Hopeful Symbolism in the Fact That Flags Will Not Wave in a Vacuum
Arthur C. Clarke? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: A famous science fiction (SF) author was fearful that nationalistic and jingoistic impulses were driving conflict on Earth and endangering the future of humankind. The author hoped that space exploration would redirect and lessen those passions. A flag flapping in the breeze is a traditional signifier of allegiance, …
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That’s the Trouble, a Sex Symbol Becomes a Thing. I Just Hate To Be a Thing
Marilyn Monroe? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Glamourous movie icon Marilyn Monroe apparently expressed misgivings about her sex symbol status because she did not wish to be viewed simply as a thing. Would you please help me to find a citation for her remarks on this topic? Quote Investigator: “LIFE” magazine Associate Editor Richard Meryman and …
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Novelty is Mistaken for Progress
Frank Lloyd Wright? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright was critical of the new buildings he saw in cities. Apparently, he said: Novelty is mistaken for Progress. Would you please help me to find a citation? Quote Investigator: In 1955 Frank Lloyd Wright published an essay titled “The Future of the …