Tracing Quotations
Mark Twain? Will Rogers? Fred Dumont Smith? Arthur M. Pearson? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The quantity of real estate is limited by the surface area of our planet. A popular wag commented about this restricted supply. Here are three versions: (1) Buy land. They’re not making it anymore.(2) Buy land. God is not …
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Jack London? Charmian London? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The U.S. writer Jack London is best known for the novel “The Call of the Wild” and the short story “To Build a Fire”. Apparently, London adhered to a materialistic philosophy, and he was skeptical of an afterlife. When describing the end of life he used …
Mignon McLaughlin? William Butler Yeats? Bertrand Russell? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The present state of the world might be best explained with the following acerbic remark: The know-nothings of the world are, regrettably, not the do-nothings. I am not sure of the original phrasing. Would you please help me to trace this saying and …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Know-Nothings Are, Unfortunately, Seldom the Do-Nothings”
John Pierpont Morgan? Elizabeth Cutter Morrow? Anne Morrow Lindbergh? Mary Roberts Rinehart? Art Arthur? O. O. McIntyre? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: An embarrassing incident occurred when a famous U.S. financier visited the home of a popular hostess. The financier had an obtrusive bulging nose, and the hostess had a young child who was inquisitive …
Continue reading “Anecdote Origin: Will You Have Sugar and Cream in Your Nose?”
Richard Feynman? Daniel Dennett? J. J. Hahn? ArthurBloch? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Here are two instances from a family of sayings about questions and answers: (1) Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. (2) I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than …
Marcel Proust? Alexander Pope? Frederick A. Blossom? Sydney Schiff? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent literary figure disapproved of intellectual works filled with abstract discourse and archetypal characters. The critique was expressed as follows: A work of art that contains theories is like an object on which the price tag has been left. This …
Andrej Karpathy? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) systems have dramatically improved in recent years. One important challenge for AI has been the synthesis of computer programs based on English language descriptions. Apparently, a prominent AI researcher said: The hottest new programming language is English Would you please help me …
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Albert Einstein? William Miller? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A famous scientist once stated that it was important to never stop questioning because curiosity has it own reason for existing. I do not recall the exact phrasing. This notion has been attributed to physicist Albert Einstein. Would you please help me to find a citation? …
Lin Yutang? Venita Cravens? Walter Savage Landor? Andrew Marvell? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Exceptional individuals accomplished remarkable feats in past ages. Unhappy critics complain that the current period lacks great figures. The talents and achievements of popular people nowadays are diminutive. Here are two versions of a pertinent metaphorical adage: (1) Little men throw …
Continue reading “Adage Origin: A Small Individual Casts a Long Shadow When the Sun Is Setting”
Branch Rickey? John Milton? Alexander Pope? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Confident people believe that luck is really controlled by human action. Religious people believe that luck is actually controlled by divine action. Here is a pertinent adage: Luck is the residue of design. This statement has been credited to prominent U.S. sports executive Branch …
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