Otto von Bismarck? Abbé Correa? José Correia da Serra? French Proverb? Jean Gracieux? Marguerite de Valois? Wilhelm II? Gulian Crommelin Verplanck? Josiah Strong? Sherwood Anderson? Question for Quote Investigator: A family of sayings asserts that specific groups benefit from supernatural protection. Here are three examples: (1) There is a special providence for fools, children, and …
Tag Archives: Otto von Bismarck
Quote Origin: Russia Is Never as Strong, or as Weak, as She Appears
Winston Churchill? Otto von Bismarck? Charles de Talleyrand? Klemens von Metternich? Jozef Pilsudski? Willson Woodside? Seweryn Bialer? Paul Johnson? Thomas L. Friedman? John Lukacs? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The Russian government’s actions have repeatedly had far‑reaching effects on the rest of the world. Yet, predicting Russia’s future behavior has always been difficult. Here is …
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Quote Origin: Revenge Is a Dish Best Eaten Cold
Eugène Sue? Klemens von Metternich? Charles de Talleyrand? Otto von Bismarck? Susannah Frances Reynolds? Roman Proverb? Klingon Proverb? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Individuals who seek revenge often find that careful planning and the elapse of time are required to obtain justice. The following proverb is popular with those who pursue vengeance. Here are four …
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Quote Origin: When You Want To Fool the World, Tell the Truth
Otto von Bismarck? Charles Haddon Spurgeon? George Bernard Shaw? Gaston Means? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: An individual who is distrusted can tell the absolute truth and experience solid skepticism. This is particularly accurate when the truth is difficult to believe or comprehend. This observation is reflected in the following adage. Here are four versions: …
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Joke Origin: The Optimist Who Fell from a Tall Building Said While Passing Each Story “All’s Well So Far”
Otto von Bismarck? Heinrich von Poschinger? Léon Gambetta? General Booth-Tucker? W. B. Bonnifield? Herbert S. Bigelow? S. E. Kiser? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: According to a comical legend, a positive thinker accidentally fell from the roof of a skyscraper. While passing each story on the way down, this optimistic person happily remarked, “Everything is …
Quote Origin: Never Believe Anything Until It Is Officially Denied
Otto von Bismarck? Cynical Broker? Hy Sheridan? Claud Cockburn? Edward Cheyfitz? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Cynicism regarding official edicts is not a new phenomenon. Reportedly, the powerful German leader Otto von Bismarck once said: Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied. Yet, these words have also been attributed to more …
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Quote Origin: When the End of the World Comes, I Want To Be in Cincinnati. It Is Always Ten Years Behind the Times
Mark Twain? Heinrich Heine? Otto von Bismarck? George Bernard Shaw? James Boswell? Will Rogers? Question for Quote Investigator: As a one-time resident of Cincinnati I knew that Mark Twain once worked in the city, and I always enjoyed the comment he reportedly made about it: When the end of the world comes, I want to …
Quote Origin: Laws are Like Sausages. Better Not to See Them Being Made
Otto von Bismarck? John Godfrey Saxe? Claudius O. Johnson? Nicolas Chamfort? Question for Quote Investigator: The quotation of Otto von Bismarck about laws and sausages has been a favorite of mine for years. I found several versions using Google, and here are two: Laws are like sausages. It’s better not to see them being made. …
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