85 posts tagged with quotations.
Displaying 1 through 50 of 85. Subscribe:
Great descriptions of mental activity from literature?
For inspiration, I'm looking for quotations from books/articles/whatever depicting characters engaging in complex contemplation -- imagining branching futures, solving math problems, doing engineering-y shit in their heads. Ideally, reflecting the beauty of the process.
Boss is leaving, need a melodramatic quotation for the card.
My most excellent boss is moving up and leaving us, and instead of signing her card with the usual junk we sign those kinds of cards with, I'd like to write a quotation or perhaps a song lyric about being, I don't know, rudderless, without guidance, etc. Maybe even abandoned. The more over-the-top the better -- this is meant to be silly. Any ideas out there?
Funny and/or inspirational quotes for electronic marquee
I own a movie theater that is currently closed. I'm looking for short messages that I can post on the electronic marquee. They should be some combination of funny, clever, and inspirational. Bonus points if they're movie-themed, although that's not strictly necessary. [more inside]
Quotations about Giving Up a Dream?
I'm looking for quotations related to the idea of giving up a dream or ambition. There are plenty of inspirational quotes about not giving up, but I'm looking for the opposite--coming to terms with the reality that something you wanted isn't going to happen. [more inside]
Use of italics.
I have a basic understanding of when to use italics and quotation marks. But I haven't found anything that says if they need to be used beyond the first reference. It seems they would wear a reader out if they're used continuously for repeating proper nouns that have already employed them once. Are they used at each instance or only at the first and are unnecessary for subsequent ones?
Dictionary of phrases you've heard before...
I'm looking for an online dictionary of idioms, cliches, proverbs, common metaphors, turns of phrase, famous quotations etc. So if I looked up the word hide, let's say, I might find "hidden agenda" or "hidden in plain sight" or "hide and seek" but maybe also idioms/cliches/proverbs etc. involving closely-related words like "secret" or "missing" or whatever. I would love something where I could look up a word appearing in any of these kinds of phrases, not to have to look up in 5 different dictionaries, but if you know a fabulous dictionary that covers just one, I guess I might have to settle.
Who first said "pay now or pay later, but you always have to pay"?
Google comes up with John C. Maxwell for this, but I am sure I read of a much earlier version, possibly from a scientist or literary figure.
Similar sentiments or earlier variations of this would be much appreciated!
Encouraging words
I want your best encouraging quotations--whatever quotation you try to keep in mind when you are in doubt about yourself, when you are anxious about something, when you are in trouble or worried. If the quotation has helped you get a grip or feel less desperate, I want to see it. That is all. Thank you.
What's the Quotation About Simplistic Solutions to Complex Problems?
There's a quotation going around these days, about the inclination to offer simplistic solutions to complex problems (e.g. "We just need to get strong with North Korea"). It's not an "old chestnut." This quotation is of recent origin, and oft-cited by poli-sci types and TV pundits.
Find a quote about the past & nostalgia
Recently read a quotation but didn't record it, but wish I had. It was something like, "The past seems preferable because fear has been removed."
Maybe Carlyle?
Have spent way too much time trying to find it again.
Obtaining Permission
I recently received permission from Warner Brothers to use a line from a classic cartoon in a book I am writing. [more inside]
Grammar/usage: continuing a sentence properly after a quotation
Here is my problem sentence: “It’s a difficult thing. You almost feel guilty” that you can’t do more, said member Joey Coco of Baton Rouge, a leader in the Louisiana recovery. [more inside]
Poem or quote about heirlooms, family tradition or hand-me-downs?
I am looking for suggestions for a short, sentimental/heartwarming/heartfelt poem or quote about heirlooms, family tradition or hand-me-downs to include on a gift for my grandmother. This is a thank-you gift for letting me wear her wedding dress at my own wedding and a tribute to the family tradition of marriages on the same date. [more inside]
Who is Hartman Jule?
While trying to check a quotation about retirement by one Hartman Jule, I found that while the name appears on lots of quote-collecting websites, I was unable to find any biographical information on anyone by that name. All references inside books only lead to epigraphs (i.e., more quotes), most having to do with retirement or advertising. Is this a known pseudonym of an individual? In lieu of any information on Hartman Jule having been a real person, I'd like to find the primary source(s) for the quotes attributed to him. [more inside]
Can you provide a source for this quotation about Utah bestiality?
Several times over the last 10 years a columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune has claimed that a representative in the Utah House voted down a bill outlawing bestiality, saying "Rep. Pignanelli just doesn't understand the pressures on the farm in rural Utah." Is there any truth to this claim? [more inside]
What is your favorite definition of science?
I've heard some great quotations from famous scientists that succinctly embody the nuances and beauty of the practice of science.
I'm teaching high school science for the first time (starting tomorrow! eek!) and I'm looking for some good examples to share with my students. What are your favorite quotations on the subject? How do you personally define the practice of science?
Thanks!
Did Victor Hugo really say this?
"Initiative is doing the right thing without being told." -- Victor Hugo but wait, did he really say that? If so, where? Because all I find online is a lot of dubious quotation sites with no specific attribution.
Find that Pratchett quotation
Does anyone know the Terry Pratchett quotation I'm trying to remember? I think (but am not certain) it's in one of the City Watch books, possibly Night Watch. It was a great concise expression of how people are not good or bad, they're people, and how most people want tomorrow to be the same as yesterday with maybe a tiny bit of improvement to look forward to. Or at least that's how I remember it. I can't for the life of me nail down the details of the quote and Pratchett is so popular and prolific that trying to Google it is not working. Hivemind, help me!
Who said "culture is the rulership of the dead over the living"?
Who said something like "culture is the rulership of the dead over the living"? Is is Zizek? Looking for an exact quote please. [more inside]
Who Said Something about Revolutions and Ordinary People?
Looking for a source for a quote about revolutions being made by ordinary people--Nelson Mandela? MLK? Looking for a direct statement from a speech or interview more than an observation by a journalist or writer.
Help me find a Junot Diaz quotation about writing and politics.
I'm looking for a Junot Diaz quotation about writing and politics, and google is failing me. I saw it in the last year or two in the form of a tumblr-type image, though it was not this one about Elvish. It went something like this:
Interview question: How do you make sure your writing has good politics?
Diaz: When you grow up in a society that is as repressive as ours, that bad politics is going to come out in your writing no matter what. I have to struggle constantly to examine my writing and make sure I agree with the politics and get misogynistic or otherwise reactionary political content scrubbed out of it.The interview question may or may not have been present. I of course can't phrase Diaz's response as eloquently as he did.
Mead Baffles Man, Kids At Stake
My kids' elementary school uses this Margaret Mead quotation on a banner in their Independence Day float, and every year it bugs the heck out out of me:
"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else."
Without any context, I struggle to understand the tone of these two sentences. Is this a heartwarming celebration of individuality? Or is this some kind of snarky put-down of same?
If it's the latter, what kind of misbegotten school am I sending my kids to?
Help me find the best love quotes from Broadway musicals
My partner is a huge, huge theater buff, particularly musicals, and he is going away to work for the next three months directing shows at a performing arts camp. Last summer, before he left, he hid little love notes for me to discover in the apartment, and it was just the sweetest gesture ever. I want to return the favor to him this year, and sneak my own notes into his luggage before he leaves and in his cabin when I visit. I decided that it would be perfect to use romantic quotes from show tunes - but I really don't know anything about theater other than what I've picked up from osmosis. I could google for Broadway quotes, but they wouldn't have any significance to me. So I'm hoping that if I give some ideas of what he likes and dislikes, the hivemind could make some thoughtful suggestions. [more inside]
Help me remember this quotation...
I'm trying to remember a quotation. It might be from an ancient philosopher or a saint. Someone says to him something like, "How do you know how to do the right thing?" And his response is, "I observe the people around me doing the wrong things, and I do the opposite." That's a very rough recollection, and not enough for Google to help. Does this ring a bell for anyone?
Looking for specific quote by Charles de Gaulle on the alliance
My boss (I work in Tokyo for an independent think tank) has asked me to track down a particular quote for him by Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French Forces and first president of the French Fifth Republic. Specifically, he is looking for a quote in which de Gaulle says something about the alliance not sharing a common destiny... I've been looking like crazy but have yet to find anything along these lines? Any ideas?? [more inside]
Generals gathered in their masses...
"Rich man's war, poor man's fight" goes back to the US Civil War and illustrates how it's the poor who do most of the actual fighting in any conflict. What other catchy or classic phrases illustrate how careers involving legalized violence (military, police) frequently draw in the economically disadvantaged? [more inside]
Shaw 'nuff.
Help me find a possibly misremembered George Bernard Shaw quotation. It was something like "I enjoy writing plays because I get to argue all the sides of an argument with myself." [more inside]
Guns aren't lawful; Nooses give; Gas smells awful; You might as well live -- And Other Inspirations.
I'm doing research for an artistic work exploring the theme of suicide, and I seek 1) a particular recent article arguing that life is not worth living and 2) the most provocative, interesting works on suicide from artistic, philosophical, social science, journalistic, religious or medical perspectives. [more inside]
APA help, please!
APA citation filter: can I indicate the page number only once in a sentence that contains multiple quotes by the same author? [more inside]
Soliciting Quotations
My wife is starting a new blog to kick off the new year, and it's going to be based on an idea that revolves around inspirational quotes, one a week throughout 2012. My daughter and I are in charge of finding the quotes. Care to donate one? [more inside]
Quotation: economic theory and reality
"When economic theory collides with reality, prefer economic theory". Who said this, and what exactly did he say?
Helpful loss mantra?
Quotations to help with the loss of loved ones? [more inside]
I ain't gonna take it no more
Quotations that express the sentiment of growing stronger before pouncing or revealing oneself to an enemy [more inside]
"Oh, so you already know all the old science?"
Quip identify filter-
Reporter: "What's the newest thing in science?"
Scientist, feigning surprise: "Oh, so you already know all the old science?"
Does anyone recognize this? Who said it?
Using quotes ethically
Newbie freelance writer with an ethical question about quotations. [more inside]
Who said goodbye best?
What's a not-too-sappy quotation for a going away card? [more inside]
Happy Father's Day! Here's a meaningful quote from Mario Cuomo
Looking for a short inscription for a Father's Day card. The father in question likes literature, me, and not much else. [more inside]
"There's no escape, there's no excuse, so just suck up and be nice.”
What are memorable phrases that reinforce the idea that you should suck it up and play nice? I'm thinking of this line from Tomato Nation: "Rudeness is not a signifier of your importance. Rudeness is a signifier of itself, nothing more. We all have bad days; yours is not weightier than anyone else's, comparatively, and does not excuse displays of poor breeding. Be civil or be elsewhere." [more inside]
Call it fate, call it kismet, but please call me if you know where it comes from
Where does the quote "Call it fate, call it kismet, call it what you will..." come from? I have wondered for years, and occasionally searched, but never found a source. Googling the phrase turns up a couple of identical uses of it. Googling "call it kismet" turns up lots of examples that are clearly based on something like it as a template. But where does it come from originally?
Hegel in Hollywood's Hands
Hegelians, gather round and join in the greatest waste of an AskMeFi question since the previous greatest one. Did Hegel leave us with two very important concepts or just the one? [more inside]
"Serious over my cereal"
QuotationFilter: "Serious over my cereal, I broke one morning my fast, with something-to-read-searching retina ... " [more inside]
Looking for good quotes about moms
A short, sweet-but-not-cloying quotation for a Mother's Day card? [more inside]
What is a definitive source for the exact wording of famous quotations?
What is a definitive source for the exact wording of famous quotations? [more inside]
Words of long lasting love in English, Welsh and French please!
Celebrating a golden wedding anniversary next month - photobook in production - your favourite quotations, poetry and passages (in English, Welsh and French) please! [more inside]
Woof.
Please share your favorite poems/quotations about man's love for dog(s).
Ted Nelson and Vannevar Bush, please forgive me.
I have a word document composed of multiple text files. I'd like to highlight the good parts, push a button, and have those quotes automatically excerpted and pasted into a new document. Bonus points if the title of each article were retained above the respective excerpt. Is there a slick and easy way to do this using mac or web-based applications? [more inside]
Quotes for a science classroom wall
I'm looking for good quotations about science (particularly physics) and education that are suitable for the wall of a secondary school (ages 11-18) classroom. [more inside]
Gandhi quotation attribution help
Widely attributed, unreferenced Gandhi quotation: "I like your Christ..." Authentic? [more inside]
Quotation help: defend domestic fiction.
Quotation help: A vaguely remembered snippet about so-called domestic fiction. [more inside]
What is the source of the quotation "The United States is in no sense founded upon the christian doctrine."
"The United States is in no sense founded upon the christian doctrine." is often attributed to George Washington. Where did he say this? Google turns up many unattributed versions of this quotation, but I couldn't find any attribution or source. Anyone able to do better?
Page:
1 2