Quote Origin: Life Is Too Short To Learn German

Mark Twain? Oscar Wilde? Thomas Love Peacock? Algernon Falconer? Richard Porson? Question for Quote Investigator: The complexities of the German language inspired the following comical statement: Life is too short to learn German. This statement has been attributed to U.S. humorist Mark Twain, Irish playwright Oscar Wilde, English satirist Thomas Love Peacock, and English classical …

Anecdote Origin: “You Have Come Late To the Office” “Oh! I’ll Make Up For It By Leaving Early”

Charles Lamb? Thomas Love Peacock? William Makepeace Thackeray? Frederick Saunders? Oscar Wilde? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A humorous anecdote depicts an absurdist interaction between a worker and a supervisor: Supervisor: “You have arrived late for work.”Worker: “Yes, but I will make up for it by leaving early.” This reply has been attributed to the …