Tracing Quotations
Oscar Wilde? G. K. Chesterson? Richard G. Moulton? Coulson Kernahan? William Thomas Stead? Richard Le Gallienne? C. Ranger Gull? Leonard Cresswell Ingleby? Guy Thorne? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The contemplation of a seemingly self-contradictory statement can help to illuminate a larger truth. This notion may be expressed with figurative language: Paradox is merely truth …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Paradox Is Truth Standing On Its Head To Attract Attention”
Oscar Wilde? Jacques Joseph Duguet? Claude Joseph Dorat? Henry Ward Beecher? Gaspard Dughet? H. Jackson Brown? John Burroughs? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Hoping and dreaming are not enough; taking action is crucial. Here are two pertinent statements: Would you please examine this family of sayings? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Smallest Good Deed Is Better Than the Grandest Good Intention”
Dorothy Parker? Oscar Wilde? Mike Porter? Arch Ward? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Composing poetry is rarely a lucrative occupation. A traditional moralistic adage has been transformed into a comical warning for versifiers: This word play has been credited to the prominent wit Dorothy Parker who published multiple collections of poetry. Would you please explore …
George M. Cohan? P. T. Barnum? Mae West? Elinor Glyn? Babe Ruth? Damon Runyon? James J. Johnston? Charley Murphy? Max Schmeling? Walter Winchell? Oscar Wilde? Samuel Johnson? Ed Sullivan? Question for Quote Investigator: A person once planned to write an article or book containing derogatory material about a celebrity. The unruffled response of the celebrity …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Say Anything You Like About Me, But Spell My Name Right”
Mrs. Patrick Campbell? Beatrice Stella Tanner? Helen Maud Tree? Oscar Wilde? Linkum Fidelius? Washington Irving? Alice Roosevelt Longworth? Eric Erskine Wood? Mrs. Claude Beddington? Frances Ethel Beddington? John Moore? King Edward VII? Ronald Reagan? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Enforcing societal norms and taboos is an important activity for some people. Others hesitate to proscribe …
Oscar Wilde? George Bernard Shaw? Oliver Onions? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The psychology of human desire is paradoxical. The failure to achieve a goal can lead to unhappiness and ever despair. Yet, attaining an objective can produce an aftermath of uncertainty and lassitude. The following adage is humorous and poignant: There are two tragedies …
Oscar Wilde? Success Magazine? Olin Miller? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Individuals with energetic, warm, and joyful personalities are welcome at most gatherings, but individuals with sullen and mean-spirited dispositions are often unwelcome. This observation accords with the following insight: Some people bring happiness wherever they go, and others whenever they leave. This statement is …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Some Cause Happiness Wherever They Go; Others Whenever They Go”
Oscar Wilde? A. H. Cooper-Prichard? Alvin Redman? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The Irish playwright Oscar Wilde achieved his greatest fame in London. The historically fractured and deadly relationship between Ireland and England has led some intellectuals of the isles to adopt a skeptical attitude toward patriotic fervor. Intense emotions have been inspired by both …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Patriotism Is the Virtue of the Vicious”
Frederick Franck? Oscar Wilde? Donna J. Stone? J. Stone? Timothy Morrissey? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Artists do not always require implements such as brushes, clay, chisels, hammers, or guitars to create works. Some artists use life itself as a medium. This fascinating notion has been expressed in a family of quotations that I have …
Oscar Wilde? H. G. Wells? George Bernard Shaw? Michael Walzer? Arnold S. Kaufman? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Some forms of socialism are implemented via a participatory process. An engaged citizenry would attend meetings, learn about different approaches, discuss topics, formulate policies, build consensus, and vote. These tasks can be quite laborious. Here are two …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Socialism Would Take Too Many Evenings”