George S. Kaufman? Dick Cavett? Howard Dietz? Leonard Lyons? Howard Teichmann? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent theater producer was unhappy with the tryout performance of a show that he was funding. A stagehand did not recognize the producer which led to the following dialog: “Are you with the show?” “No, I’m against it!” …
Tag Archives: Leonard Lyons
Quote Origin: A Clever Person Solves a Problem. A Wise Person Avoids It
Albert Einstein? Jerome Halprin? Abba Eban? Leonard Lyons? Sidney Greenberg? Paul Connett? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A popular quip highlights the distinction between the adjectives clever and wise: A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. This notion can also be expressed as follows: A clever person gets out of a …
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Quote Origin: Co-Authoring a Book Is Like Three People Getting Together To Have a Baby
Evelyn Waugh? Agatha Christie? Hilary St. George Saunders? Leonard Lyons? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Collaborating on a complex project like writing a novel is impossible for many people. English writer Evelyn Waugh said something like the following: Coauthoring a book is like three people getting together to have a baby. Would you please help …
Dialogue Origin: “Now That He Is Minister of War I Feel Safe” “Why?” “Well, When He Was Minister of Fuel We Had No Fuel”
Winston Churchill? Alexander Ince? Leonard Lyons? Emanuel Shinwell? John Williams Hughes? Drew Pearson? Eleanor Boardman? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Ensuring the smooth operation of the industry sector that supplies energy to a country is a crucial task. Here is an example of the type of mockery aimed at a politician who botched this important …
Quote Origin: You Are My Fifth Favorite Actor. The First Four Are the Marx Brothers
George Bernard Shaw? Winston Churchill? Cedric Hardwicke? Blanche Patch? Leonard Lyons? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: According to a Hollywood legend, a famous intellectual or statesman once praised a prominent actor with a left-handed compliment. Here are two versions: The famous person was supposedly George Bernard Shaw or Winston Churchill. The actor was the English …
Dialogue Origin: “Does It Hurt?” “Only When I Laugh”
Philip Gosse? John Bishop? Leonard Lyons? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A family of popular comical anecdotes conforms to the following template. An individual suffers a grievous injury such as a spear through the chest. A companion asks about his or her status, and the reply is absurdly understated: “Does it hurt?”“Only when I laugh.” …
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Quote Origin: Where Two People Are Writing the Same Book, Each Believes He Gets All the Worries and Only Half the Royalties
Agatha Christie? James Beasley Simpson? Joe Bushkin? Leonard Lyons? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Successful collaboration is difficult to achieve for many creators. The outstanding mystery writer Agatha Christie once referred to the difficulty of splitting royalties while explaining why she did not have coauthors. Would you please help me to find her remark? Reply …
Quote Origin: Drama Is Life with the Dull Bits Cut Out
Alfred Hitchcock? Leonard Lyons? François Truffaut? Steven Rattner? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Thrill master Alfred Hitchcock made a brilliant observation about storytelling requiring the excision of “dull bits” or “boring bits” from a narrative. Would you please help me to find a citation that presents the precise phrasing for this remark? Reply from Quote …
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Quote Origin: So What? I Paint Fakes, Too
Pablo Picasso? Leonard Lyons? Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler? Arthur Koestler? Marshall McLuhan? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The most fascinating anecdote about authenticity that I have ever heard features Pablo Picasso repudiating a painting that he apparently created. Are you familiar with this tale? Would you please explore its provenance? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest occurrence …
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Quote Origin: Lyricist Versus Composer: The Song “Ol’ Man River”
Oscar Hammerstein II? Dorothy Hammerstein? Leonard Lyons? Question for Quote Investigator: The division of credit between music composers and lyricists can be controversial. Some lyricists believe that their song writing skills are not given adequate respect. One vivid anecdote revealed the unhappiness of Dorothy Hammerstein who was the wife of the prominent Broadway song creator …
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