Tracing Quotations
Will Rogers? Jack Kerouac? Joseph Gurney Cannon? G. Gordon Liddy? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Each horse has exactly one posterior, and this fact produces a confounding paradox. Why are there more horses’ asses than horses? This wordplay quip has been attributed to humorist Will Rogers, novelist Jack Kerouac, politician Joseph Cannon, Watergate conspirator G. …
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Thomas Fuller? Saadi Shīrāzī? Moncure Daniel Conway? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Developing knowledge and skills takes time and effort. There is no shortcut for obtaining crucial capabilities. Here is a pertinent adage: Everything is difficult before it becomes easy. This saying has been attributed to the 18th century British physician Thomas Fuller and the …
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William S. Burroughs? Allen Ginsberg? Sam Kashner? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Prominent authors can be ornery and unforgiving. Apparently, a well-known writer said: Elephants and authors have long, vicious memories. This statement has been attributed to William S. Burroughs, the controversial Beat Generation author of “Naked Lunch”, “The Ticket That Exploded”, and “Junkie”. Would …
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Diana Vreeland? Christopher Hemphill? Valerie Steele? Marion Hume? Question for Quote Investigator: Apparently, a prominent fashion maven asserted that an obsession with good taste was misguided because a person with “terrible taste” could make a “damn good living” selling items. This notion has been attributed to Diana Vreeland who was the editor-in-chief at Vogue in …
Diana Vreeland? Christopher Hemphill? Eleanor Dwight? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A powerful fashion maven was asked about blue jeans, and the response was surprising: They’re the most beautiful things since the gondola. This remark has been attributed to Diana Vreeland who worked at “Harper’s Bazaar” from 1936 to 1963 followed by a job at …
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Journalist Kevin Dickinson of the website Big Think interviewed me and wrote a wonderful article about quotations and misquotations. The article is titled: Einstein didn’t say that: How viral misquotes evolve and replicate. Click here to read the article.
Mary Pettibone Poole? John Lennon? Randy Pausch? William Lundigan? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A clever saying states that experience in life is obtained indirectly. Here are two versions: (1) Experience is what you get while looking for something else.(2) Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. This saying has …
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Steven Tyler? Keble Howard? George E. Waring Jr.? Henry Stanley Haskins? Robert Heinlein? Lord Chesterfield? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The following adage celebrates enthusiasm and exuberance: Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. This saying has been attributed to the rock star Steven Tyler and science fiction author Robert Heinlein. Would you please help me …
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Coco Chanel? Diana Vreeland? Francine du Plessix Gray? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Statements about stylish clothing and beautiful furnishings are often opaque. Here is an example: Elegance is refusal. This statement has been attributed to two prominent fashion mavens: Coco Chanel and Diana Vreeland. I have never seen a solid citation. Would you please …
Mark Twain? Will Rogers? Fred Dumont Smith? Arthur M. Pearson? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The quantity of real estate is limited by the surface area of our planet. A popular wag commented about this restricted supply. Here are three versions: (1) Buy land. They’re not making it anymore.(2) Buy land. God is not …
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