Mark Twain? James Wayle? Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar? Walter Winchell? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: In the past few days several phony quotations were widely disseminated on the internet; in other words, they went viral. My question is about a saying that might be genuine. A CNN article contains the following expression attributed to Mark Twain: I …
Tag Archives: Mark Twain
Quote Origin: I Have Never Killed Any One, But I Have Read Some Obituary Notices with Great Satisfaction
Mark Twain? Clarence Darrow? Overland Monthly? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I saw the quotation below when it was tweeted a few days ago. It was credited to Mark Twain, but apparently he never said it: I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure. Later I read news …
Quote Origin: She Was a Sinking Vessel with No Freight to Throw Overboard
Mark Twain? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I have heard the following quote attributed to Mark Twain: A man who doesn’t smoke is like a sinking ship with no rats to desert it. I am skeptical. Would you please explore the provenance of this expression? Reply from Quote Investigator: QI has been unable to locate …
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Quote Origin: A Banker Lends You His Umbrella When It’s Sunny and Wants It Back When It Rains
Mark Twain? Robert Frost? Ambrose Bierce? Ben Bernanke? Philippe Girardet? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: It is remarkably difficult to obtain a loan in a difficult economic climate. This notion can be expressed with the following adage: A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it …
Quote Origin: When I Was a Boy of Fourteen, My Father Was So Ignorant
Mark Twain? Fred N. Rindge? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I am interested in a fantastic quotation that I always thought was from the pen of Mark Twain: When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to …
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Quote Origin: Never Let Schooling Interfere With Your Education
Mark Twain? Grant Allen? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I am still in school and that is probably why the following quote attributed to Mark Twain appeals to me so much: I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. Your blog posts about Twain quotations reveal that the information on the internet about …
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Quote Origin: I Would Rather Go To Bed With That Woman Stark Naked Than With Ulysses S. Grant in Full Military Regalia
Mark Twain? James Montgomery Flagg? William Dean Howells? Question for Quote Investigator: When I discovered your blog I knew just the right word to describe it: Quotesmanship. That word was used in the New York Times in 1980 to describe the desire to determine and use correct attributions for quotations. The author of the Quotesmanship …
Quote Origin: No Respect for a Man Who Can Spell a Word Only One Way
Mark Twain? Nyrum Reynolds? Hiram Runnels? Andrew Jackson? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I sometimes have difficulty spelling words correctly. But I take comfort in the magnificent statement attributed to Mark Twain: I don’t give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way. Actually, I used to take comfort in …
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Quote Origin: Three Weeks to Prepare a Good Impromptu Speech
Mark Twain? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I have to present a speech soon, and I would like to use a quotation attributed to Mark Twain: It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech. The intended audience has the background to know that impromptu means without planning or preparation, and …
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Quote Origin: Golf is a Good Walk Spoiled
Mark Twain? William Gladstone? A Northern Gael? F. W. Payn? Sam Loates? The Allens? Harry Leon Wilson? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I love to play golf, but sometimes when I am playing poorly I am tempted to simply walk the course and get some exercise. When I mentioned this to a friend he told …
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