Who originated the phrase "What exists can be measured and what can be measured exists?" It is often attributed to Ernst Mach but I cannot find a textural reference.
What do you mean specifically when you say that something is a proverb? In some cases, that seems to imply that "it has been around for a long time, and nobody knows," but is there a more technical definition? Could a 20th century quote become a proverb in this century?
After asking about "Curiosity killed the cat" I googled it and found that it is a recent change from the older expression "Care killed the cat." This doesn't really make much sense to me either. Was there a specific cat that curiosity or care killed? Maybe, I'd like to know. I've just never liked when people are discouraged from asking questions because of some hypothetical cat who probably never existed.
"Dogmatism killed the donkey." Now there's a quote I can get behind. Works with many definitions of the work donkey too. Mike M original, expect to hear it on Hardball and Fox News within the year.
2. "There's the rub." I heard it in the movie Swingers and then realized it came from Hamlet's famous soliloquy. Does it go back further than that? Or did Shakespeare create this phrase?
My father always says "I need to see a man about a horse" in order to indicate that he's going to the restroom. He attributes it to the Three Stooges, but it's unclear whether that's original utterance, or the intended meaning.
"Those who can teach teach gym, " above, is from Woody Allen.
The rest, including "The meek shall inherit the earth when the arrogant are done despoiling it," are from the website of writer Michael Dennis Mooney: jcbcast.blogspot.com
I would question whether anything that exists can be measured. Time, for example, is widely believed to exist, but only time passed can be measured. On the other hand, I supposse that one could argue that only past time exists: the future may be anticipated, but does not yet, and will never, exist, inasmuch as it becomes the present as soon as it arrives, and almost instantly turns into the past. And what of thought? How does one measure thought? We talk of big ideas and small ideas, but does anyone have any idea of how to measure an idea?
For Fred Shapiro--or anyone else: Where did this one come from?--"Self-regulation without self-discipline is"--????--what? First heard it from Paul Harvey but he always said it came from somewhere else.
There's a quote inscribed in a wall at the intersection of Cuthbert Blvd and North Park Drive in South Jersey. It reads:
"If we are not careful we shall leave our children a legacy of billion dollar roads leading nowhere except to other congested places like those they left behind."
It is attributed to Omar Bradley, but I cannot find confirmation of this anywhere on the internet except other places that reference that intersection.
Groucho Marx is generally credited for the quip, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." (i) Is that the exact wording of his phrase? (ii) Was he the first to say it? (iii) When/where did he and/or a predecessor say it first?
"the reward for a job well done is more work to do."
ResponderEliminarmy friend MJ attributes it to her father, but he must have cribbed it from somewhere.
Who originated the phrase "What exists can be measured and what can be measured exists?" It is often attributed to Ernst Mach but I cannot find a textural reference.
ResponderEliminar"Anything that exists exists in a certain quantity and can be measured." --Thorndike 1904
ResponderEliminarBut I'd bet Lord Kelvin said it too.
What do you mean specifically when you say that something is a proverb? In some cases, that seems to imply that "it has been around for a long time, and nobody knows," but is there a more technical definition? Could a 20th century quote become a proverb in this century?
ResponderEliminarWho first said:
ResponderEliminar"I am not bound to win, but I'm bound to be true. I'm not bound to succeed, but I'm bound to live up to what light I have."
After asking about "Curiosity killed the cat" I googled it and found that it is a recent change from the older expression "Care killed the cat." This doesn't really make much sense to me either. Was there a specific cat that curiosity or care killed? Maybe, I'd like to know. I've just never liked when people are discouraged from asking questions because of some hypothetical cat who probably never existed.
ResponderEliminar"Dogmatism killed the donkey." Now there's a quote I can get behind. Works with many definitions of the work donkey too. Mike M original, expect to hear it on Hardball and Fox News within the year.
I thought the original was
ResponderEliminar"Those who can't do teach.
ResponderEliminarThose who can't teach teach gym."
"A stopped clock and Glen Beck are both right twice a day.
ResponderEliminarAnd Beck is having a stupid argument with the clock."
"The meek shall inherit the earth when the arrogant are done despoiling it."
ResponderEliminar"Absolute power is a joy forever. Constant opinion polling corrupts absolutely."
ResponderEliminar##
"Behind every great man is a codependent."
"A woman's place is in the driver's seat."
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"When a star falls an angel goes to hell. When a star falls in Hollywood he goes to rehab, then straight to Spagos in a limo."
"A penny saved is worth about two birds in the bush."
ResponderEliminar##
"The old saw no longer makes the cut."
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"All work and no play makes Jack a John D. Rockefeller."
"The new broom knows not of what it sweeps."
ResponderEliminar##
"Rock stars give passes to girls who're fun lasses."
When Dorothy Parker, known for nuggety quotes, was
ResponderEliminarchallenged to say something quotable about horticulture,
her mordant wit sprang like a panther:
"You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think."
I've got two.
ResponderEliminar1. "Johnny on the spot"
2. "There's the rub." I heard it in the movie Swingers and then realized it came from Hamlet's famous soliloquy. Does it go back further than that? Or did Shakespeare create this phrase?
My father always says "I need to see a man about a horse" in order to indicate that he's going to the restroom. He attributes it to the Three Stooges, but it's unclear whether that's original utterance, or the intended meaning.
ResponderEliminar"Those who can teach teach gym, " above, is from Woody Allen.
ResponderEliminarThe rest, including "The meek shall inherit the earth when the arrogant are done despoiling it," are from the website of
writer Michael Dennis Mooney:
jcbcast.blogspot.com
I would question whether anything that exists can be measured. Time, for example, is widely believed to exist, but only time passed can be measured. On the other hand, I supposse that one could argue that only past time exists: the future may be anticipated, but does not yet, and will never, exist, inasmuch as it becomes the present as soon as it arrives, and almost instantly turns into the past. And what of thought? How does one measure thought? We talk of big ideas and small ideas, but does anyone have any idea of how to measure an idea?
ResponderEliminarCreswell, J. (2007) The cat's pyjamas: The Penguin book of cliches. London: Penguin Books.
ResponderEliminarAbove is a British book of which you may not be aware, but it has 364 pages of origins of expressions, with a long index.
For Fred Shapiro--or anyone else: Where did this one come from?--"Self-regulation without self-discipline is"--????--what? First heard it from Paul Harvey but he always said it came from somewhere else.
ResponderEliminarThere's a quote inscribed in a wall at the intersection of Cuthbert Blvd and North Park Drive in South Jersey. It reads:
ResponderEliminar"If we are not careful
we shall leave our children a legacy of billion dollar roads leading nowhere except to other congested places
like those they left behind."
It is attributed to Omar Bradley, but I cannot find confirmation of this anywhere on the internet except other places that reference that intersection.
Groucho Marx is generally credited for the quip, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." (i) Is that the exact wording of his phrase? (ii) Was he the first to say it? (iii) When/where did he and/or a predecessor say it first?
ResponderEliminar@22: Jeremy, Anything Groucho "said" could be assumed to have been written by S. J. Perelman, who authored the Marx Bros' scripts.
ResponderEliminar"Play it by ear"
ResponderEliminar