The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and WhenOur language is full of hundreds of quotations that are often cited but seldom confirmed. Ralph Keyes's The Quote Verifier considers not only classic misquotes such as "Nice guys finish last," and "Play it again, Sam," but more surprising ones such as "Ain't I a woman?" and "Golf is a good walk spoiled," as well as the origins of popular sayings such as "The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings," "No one washes a rented car," and "Make my day." |
From inside the book
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... world of quotation, von Moltke's actual words were condensed into a pithier comment over time, then placed in more-familiar mouths. Discovering who actually said what, where, and when is a challenge for anyone who wishes to quote others ...
... world,” remain a mystery. When a source is cited for that quotation, it is always secondary. This is a risky type of ascription. Such sources sometimes cite yet another source that is one or more steps removed from a quotation's point ...
... world will beat a path to your door.”). These quotations are the most popular versions of familiar and semifamiliar remarks. Because the wording of quotations can vary, possible key words can vary too. That is why the comprehensive ...
... World War II: “As soon as any man says of the affairs of the state, What does it matter to me? the state may be given up as lost.” That is a stretch. More likely the thought was a rhetorical commonplace that wended its way into ...
... World War consider the words more likely to be ones Foch wishes he'd conveyed than those he actually did. By one historian's account Foch's actual telegram read, “The situation is therefore excellent; the attack directed against the ...
Contents
1 | |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 259 |
SOURCE NOTES | 267 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 345 |
KEY WORD INDEX | 347 |
NAME INDEX | 375 |
SIDEBAR INDEX | 389 |