Who Said That? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was an American artist and film-maker. The quote is attributed to Warhol and it first appeared in print on the program for his exhibition in Sweden in 1968. However, photographer Nat Finkelstein claims to be the source of the quote. Finkelstein states that in 1966, he was photographing Warhol for a book when a crowd gathered, trying to get into the picture. Warhol allegedly made a comment that everyone wants to be famous, to which Finkelstein claims he replied, "Yeah, for about fifteen minutes, Andy".

People often make reference to having their "15 minutes of fame". Online activity and social media have led to variations on the quote, including "15 minutes of shame" and "in the future, everyone will be famous to 15 people".

Answer: Duchess of Windsor

This quote, from a 1970 newspaper article that credited Simpson, is attributed to American-born Wallis Simpson (1896-1986), also known as the Duchess of Windsor, by virtue of her marriage to Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor. Edward abdicated his throne to marry the twice-divorced American. Wallis Simpson was not popular in England, being perceived as a social climber, a Nazi sympathiser and a threat to the monarchy.

Other quotes attributed to Wallis Simpson include "You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance" and "Never complain, never explain" (a quote which has also been attributed to Benjamin Disraeli, the late Queen Mother, and Queen Elizabeth II).

Answer: Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was a German theoretical physicist who is famous for his theory of relativity. His name is synonymous with genius. This is one of my all-time favourite quotes that I like to use, so I really hope he said it! He is also alleged to have said, "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits".

Answer: Tony Galento

Tony Galento (1910-1979) was a heavyweight boxer. This quote was his response to the question, "What do you think of Shakespeare?" The full quote is "Shakespeare? I ain't never hoid of him. He's not in no ratings. I suppose he's one of those foreign heavyweights. They're all lousy. Sure as hell I'll moider dat bum" (1939).

According to his New York Times obituary: "Mr. Galento won fame during his prime for his motto, 'I'll moider da bum'. He offered that boastful prediction to the boxing community before each of his 114 heavyweight fights from 1929 until 1944. He often made the pronouncement with bottle of beer in one hand and a long cigar in the other".

Answer: Winston Churchill

This quote is commonly attributed to both Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and Mark Twain (1835-1910), but there is no evidence that either of them said it. I think it is particularly unlikely that Churchill said it because an Englishman would almost certainly say trousers rather than pants!

The basic idea (that lies spread faster than truth) has been around for centuries. In fact, the Irish author, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), expressed the same idea in 1710 with "Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it" in an article entitled "The Art of Political Lying".

Answer: Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was a Spanish artist known for his surreal paintings. One of his most famous paintings is "The Persistence of Memory", which depicts melting clocks.

Dali believed that madness came in moments and that we all have the potential to reach those moments. He believed that madness liberated creativity from within us. He also said, "There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad". Two quotes which are completely contradictory!

Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte

Good advice, which Napoleon is believed to have shared with his marshals while discussing a battle with them in 1805! This was published in a book that was written about the French Revolution by Sir Archibald Alison in 1836.

After the French Revolution (1789), Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) became the First Consul and subsequently Emperor of France, crowning himself in 1804. A brilliant military leader, he waged war against a number of European nations, but was eventually defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium in 1815.

Answer: Voltaire

There are many sources that attribute this quote to Voltaire (1694-1778). However, according to https://checkyourfact.com, "There is no evidence that Voltaire authored this saying. It may be a version of a statement written by American author H.L. Mencken".

Voltaire DID, however, make a number of quotes about God which are documented, including one of his most famous - "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him", published in his "Epistle to the Author of The Three Impostors" (1769).

Other quotes about God which are attributed to Voltaire include, "I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe can exist without a clock maker", and "God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere".

Answer: Walt Disney

Walt Disney (1901-1966) is well-known as a pioneer in the entertainment industry, being the genius behind Disneyland theme parks and Disney cartoons and movies. This quote was written by Walt Disney in a letter to the actress Debbie Reynolds in 1966. (To those of you who are not as ancient as me, Debbie Reynolds was Carrie Fisher's mother and a famous actress in her own right).

Answer: Imelda Marcos

Imelda Marcos (1929- ) was the wife of Ferdinand Marcos, 10th President of the Philippines (from 1965 to 1986). Imelda is famous for her lavish lifestyle, her shopping sprees, her personal wealth and the general suspicion that it was obtained by unethical means, such as kickbacks and the appropriation of funds provided by the USA in the form of foreign aid.

She is also notorious for her love of shoes and is alleged to have possessed over 3,000 pairs of shoes in her heyday.