Having spent recent weeks soliciting suggestions of favorite quotations and phrases from readers for the next edition of The Yale Book of Quotations, let me now again turn the tables. Do any readers have any quotations whose origins they would like me to attempt to trace?
Quotes Uncovered: A Call for Quotes
TAGS: fred shapiro, quotes
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“Reward bad behavior, get bad behavior. Reward good behavior, get good behavior.”
Here’s a quote I’d like to see sourced: “On the plains of hesitation lie the blackendbones of countless millions who at the dawn of victory sat to rest, and resting, died.” I’ve heard it attributed to everyone from Omar Khyamm to Adlai Stevenson, but can’t find any credible source.
“The Candle that Burns Twice as Bright, Burns Half as Long.”
- Saw it in film Blade Runner, but it probably predates it.
My father often jokingly quotes “some old judge” as saying something along the following: “Anyone who gets away with something will be back soon to get away with a little bit more.” I like the quote and its logic, but my Google attempts have yielded nothing whatsoever. Any feedback much appreciated.
How about the source of “Early ripe, early rotten”?
I would like to hear the origins of:
“It is easier for the world to accept a simple lie than a complex truth”
I have heard it attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville but have never been able to find a reference.
How about this one:
“Best time to plant a tree? 10 years ago. Next best time? Today.”
@tomob
“Even a broken clock is correct twice a day”