Who Said It? Trivia

1. What film comedian once quipped "I could dance with you until the cows come home. On second thought I'd rather dance with the cows until you come home."

From Quiz Speaking of Cows

Answer: Groucho Marx

Groucho Marx says the line as Rufus T Firefly in the comedy masterpiece "Duck Soup" (1933). Marx says the line to Margaret Dumont, who was a frequent foil in Marx Brothers films. Doing something "until the cows come home" is an old expression meaning to do something for an extended period of time, often until dawn. While the script for "Duck Soup" was written by by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, many of the better ad-libs were improvised by Groucho and Chico. Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (1890-1977) was known for his quick wit, and is regarded as one of the great comedic geniuses of the 20th Century. Groucho and his brothers made a dozen films during the 1930s and 1940s, including "Horse Feathers" (1932), "A Night at the Opera" (1935) and "A Day at the Races" (1937).

From Quiz Quotes Of The Year 2020

Answer: Boris Johnson

Johnson was referring to the United Kingdom's impending departure from the European Union. A transition period was to take place in 2020, with the UK and the EU to negotiate a departure agreement. That process was to prove slow and seemingly interminable, but just before Christmas it was announced a deal had been done. In the meantime along came the intervention of the Covid-19 pandemic. Johnson's government was to be slated for acting too ineffectively and too slowly. By the end of December, the UK had seen the second highest number of Covid deaths in Europe, 71,000, just a few hundred behind Italy. In terms of death per million people, the UK's rate was in the top six of countries worldwide.

From Quiz This Watch is Never Wrong

Answer: George Patton

Battle-hardened Patton was held in such high esteem by the Germans in WWII, that they just couldn't believe Patton was not part of the expected invasion of mainland Europe. Instead, Patton led Operation Fortitude, a successful attempt to foil the German war effort. The goal was twofold: 1) divert the attention away from the actual Normandy landing and 2) delay German reinforcements after D-Day in fear of an actual second invasion from the dummy army. Part of this operation was the placement of dummy tanks, aircraft, landing crafts and even entire dummy airfields in Scotland and the south of England, conveying the notion to the Germans that the invasion would take place near Calais (as logic would dictate given the proximity to the English coast) and Norway. That attack never came and the plan worked like a charm.

From Quiz Famous People & Their Quotes About the Bible

Answer: Mark Twain

Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is the correct answer. Twain, 1835-1910, was a writer, humorist and publisher who is best known as author of 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' and 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'. For a while, he was a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River. According to Wikipedia, Twain was born shortly after an appearance of Halley's Comet and he predicted he would "go out with it." And wouldn't you know it, Twain died the day after the comet returned.

From Quiz It's a Miracle! Cures and Miscues in Quotation

Answer: Dean Martin

Born Dino Paul Crocetti in 1917, Dean Martin used a glass of whiskey and a cigarette as a prop in his night club act, according to imdb.com. Snopes.com states that Dean Martin was not quite as drunk as he pretended on stage. "His son, Ricci Martin, wrote (in 'That's Amore: A Son Remembers Dean Martin', p. 55): 'While it was true that Dad drank, the drunky routines were an act. On stage, and later on the set of his TV show, Dad usually had a J&B Scotch and soda he nursed through the performance. It was almost always a weak Scotch and soda. Other times it was just apple juice.' "

From Quiz Quotes about Money - Who Said It?

Answer: Billy Wilder

Born in Austria, Billy Wilder (1906-2002) moved to the United States in 1933, following the rise of the Nazi Party in the land of his birth. He went on to become one of the most sought after film directors of his era, with hits such as "Double Indemnity" (1944), "The Lost Weekend" (1945), and, of course the huge hit "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), which he also co-wrote. It was his 1960 movie "The Apartment", a comedy-drama which tells the story of a nondescript insurance worker (Jack Lemmon) who lends his apartment to the executives of his firm for their liaisons, that saw him win Academy Awards, not only for the best director, but also for Producer and scriptwriter as well. Billy, who spent a short period in Paris before his move to the United States, obviously wasn't overly impressed with France, its toilet paper, or its people.

From Quiz My Mother Said "No"

Answer: John Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the USA, was born in 1917 and killed by an assassin's bullet on 22nd November 1963. Events of note that took place during his leadership of the nation included the space race, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the escalating Cold War, and the Civil Rights Movement. JFK was part of a large Irish-American family with parents who believed in their children reaching their full potential. Becoming President of a great nation certainly achieved just that.

From Quiz Inspirational Quotes from Famous Women

Answer: Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks (1913-2005) was an African-American civil rights activist, who, on December 1, 1955, refused to obey the bus driver's order on the vehicle on which she was travelling to give up her seat to a white passenger. Though others had done this before Rosa, her act of defiance, and the subsequent Montgomery bus boycott that followed, became the symbols that flamed the already simmering embers of the modern American civil rights movement.

From Quiz Don't Quote Me, Again

Answer: Clint Eastwood

Clinton Eastwood Jnr was born in May 1930 in San Francisco, California. He is a film star, producer, director and composer. The first film he acted in was "Revenge of the Creature" (1955), in which he had a bit part. Following other small film roles, he was then cast in the CBS western TV series "Rawhide" as the character Rowdy Yates in 1958, which ran until 1966. He then progressed to the "Spaghetti Westerns", the first "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964), followed by "For a Few Dollars More" (1965) and then "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966). He then went on to star in films such as "Hang 'Em High" (1968), "Coogan's Bluff" (1968), "Where Eagles Dare" (1968), and the musical "Paint Your Wagon" (1969). He went on to star in many more films including the "Dirty Harry" series of films. He starred in and directed his first western, the "High Plains Drifter". His movies continued on into the 80s, 90s and 2000s. He has been nominated for an Academy Award at least 10 times, and has won four, two for "Unforgiven", two for "Million Dollar Baby" as well as the Irving G Thalberg Memorial Award in 1994. He has also won many other awards.His hand- and footprints have been recorded. He has starred in over 50 films, and during his long career as an actor he has notched up at least 66 credits, and as a produced at least 38, as well as at least 37 directing credits.

From Quiz Old Moon, New Moon

Answer: George Carlin

George Carlin (1937-2008) was known for his dark humor, social criticism and his willingness to tackle just about any subject, including the infamous "seven dirty words you can never say on television". The above quotation appeared in Carlin's 1997 book "Brain Droppings" which was a compendium of Carlin's stand-up material and other observations. Another "moon" quote frequently attributed to Carlin is "We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor", however that quote was actually made by Dr. Bob Moorehead. That quote floated around the Internet as part of an essay called "Paradox of Our Time". Carlin himself debunked his ownership of the essay on his website calling it "weak philosophy".

From Quiz Pun People are Fun People!

Answer: Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov (born Isaak Ozimov, died 1992) liked to joke about dying, heaven and hell, and how to spend life productively. Asimov wrote "Those Amazing Electric Thinking Machines!: An Anthology of Robot and Computer Stories", "I, Robot", and over 500 other books, making him one of most prolific writers of all time. "Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do".

From Quiz Obscure Wisdom from Less than Obscure Sources

Answer: Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo was not only a prolific author, but a political activist as well. He was quite outspoken about social injustices and a proponent of abolishing the death penalty. His influence helped to remove the death penalty in Geneva, Portugal, and Colombia. He once wrote a letter to the USA to spare John Brown, but the letter arrived after the execution. Victor Hugo was also a leader in the establishment of rights of artists, and the implementation of copyright laws.

From Quiz Quotes from Clever Folks

Answer: Oscar Wilde

Wilde (1854-1900) was the son of intellectuals. An aesthete who cared little for convention of any kind, he served a prison sentence for his homosexual acts, which were illegal in most European countries at the time. He wrote about the drudgery of prison life which, in the opinion of some, contributed to his early death.

From Quiz Veni Vidi Dixi

Answer: Exodus

The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue, represent a summary of the rules God expects humankind to abide by. Moses was born in Egypt 1527 BCE. This was a period when the pharaoh had ordered all the male children of Hebrew slaves be put to death. In an effort to save him his mother out him in a basket and hid him in the reeds of the Nile River. He was found by the pharaoh's daughter who adopted him and named him. Exodus then tells us that Moses grew and led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. When they arrived at Mount Sinai, the Mountain of God, God called Moses up the mountain where he presented him with the two stone tablets containing the Commandments. Exodus 20: 1-17 gives those Ten Commandments.

From Quiz Quotes from Great Writers

Answer: Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens lived from 1812 to 1870. He came from a poor, hard-working family, and by the time he was twelve years old, his father was in prison for debt. Dickens had to go out to work to help earn money to feed the family and never forgot the harshness and inequality of this experience. He studied hard and worked his way up to become a stenographer and then a reporter. It was in this latter job that he began to write under the pen name, Boz. Most of the short stories he wrote were centred on the ordinary people of London, and he paints many a brilliant word picture of the harsh realities of life in the nineteenth century. One of his famous novels, "Oliver Twist", was published in 1838. It tells the story of a young orphan boy, brought up in a poverty and harshness. He inadvertently gets mixed up in the criminal life, but manages to overcome all and find happiness at the novel's conclusion. The work tells an engrossing tale that is also a cry for social justice for the young unwanted waifs of London. Dickens was a powerful, compassionate and prolific writer, and the longer he is dead, the more his reputation grows - but he was no paragon of virtue. Married to one woman, who bore him ten children, he was deeply in love with one of her sisters, was more than fond of another, and had a discreet affair with one or two other women.

From Quiz Fifteen Minutes Too Late

Answer: Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the frustrations in dealing with quotes is that they can be difficult to confirm since they may be merely spoken, not written. Emerson was a prolific writer, and a good deal of his work is now on the Internet in searchable databases. This quote wasn't found in his works, but may have been from one of his speeches, for he was also an accomplished lecturer. Another author who was credited with a similar quote was Charles Kingsley: "There's no use doing a kindness if you do it a day too late".

From Quiz Oh No! I'll Never Remember That!

Answer: Mark Twain

This is just one of the many humorous quotes attributed to Mark Twain. It can be found on page 210 in the "Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume I" (2010). It was a reference to getting older. Another piece of wisdom from this wonderful mind can be found in an entry into his personal notebook from 1894 where he noted "If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything". It is certainly something to ponder.

From Quiz I Think, Therefore I Speak

Answer: Leo Tolstoy

Lev Nikolayevitch (Leo) Tolstoy was born in 1828 and died in 1910. Not only was he an immensely powerful writer of novels, short stories, plays and essays, he was also a philosopher and social activist. His personality was a fascinating combination of deep mysticism and asceticism. The quote above came from his novel "Anna Karenina" which was published as serial form between 1873 and 1877. It, and his other great work "War and Peace", are recognised as among the greatest novels of all time.

From Quiz Nothing is Ever Impossible

Answer: Vince Lombardi

In posthumous honor of his victory at the first two Superbowls, the World Professional Football Championship Trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi Trophy. It was awarded for the first time to the Baltimore Colts at Superbowl V.

From Quiz Hilarious Quotes

Answer: Bart Simpson

Bart is one of the major characters in the cartoon series "The Simpsons", a perennially funny show that pokes light-hearted fun at all the foibles of the human condition - but one that almost always finishes up with a lesson to be learned by one of the characters. It's an excellent tool for getting messages across by using the gift of laughter. [ question and information contributed by Creedy ]

From Quiz Wise and Witty Words

Answer: Mark Twain

The inimitable Mark Twain is the source of so many pieces of wisdom that singling out just one was a difficult task. The American author and satirist had a keen eye for human behaviour with a clever and wry way of noting such observations. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835, this Missouri native is probably best known for his two novels, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", and its sequel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". William Faulkner called him the "Father of American Literature". In an ironic twist, Twain knew what is was like to owe money. He once filed for bankruptcy before managing to sort out his financial affairs. He paid off every cent of his debt even though he had no legal obligation to do so.

From Quiz Quotes Part III: Literature Edition

Answer: Charles Dickens

Charles John Huffam Dickens (February 7, 1812-June 9, 1870) was a novelist. His early pen-name was "Boz". This famous quote appeared in "A Tale of Two Cities".

From Quiz Historic Speeches: Who Said What?

Answer: Charles I

On January 30, 1649, this speech was given before his own execution. Many events led to the King's execution. In his first year as king, Charles married Henrietta Maria, who was Catholic. This deeply hurt many of England's Protestants. Charles and his father, James I, both believed that as kings, they were above the law and chosen by God. When he faced opposition from Parliament, Charles would dissolve them, thus ruling alone a number of times. In his first four years of reign, Charles dissolved Parliament three times. The only reason he would ever reassemble it was to raise money to pay for expensive wars. England and the Parliament were so angered by the actions of their king that, after trial, he was sentenced to execution on January 30, 1649. The part of his speech quoted in our question "I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown" meant that in the next world, after death, nobody could control him and corrupt him anymore. After the execution, crowds of people fought to dip their handkerchiefs in Charles's blood dripping from his severed head as a souvenir. His supporters wanted his blood as a relic of his martyrdom, and his haters wanted his blood as a tribute to his villainy.

From Quiz Who Said That? - Quotes of Yesteryear [2]

Answer: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson's quote, generally seen as a call to aim high and set lofty goals for oneself, is definitely an aspirational one--the type of thing you'd see on a student agenda or an office poster. It's particularly interesting because it's an almost fantastical and lofty quote for a man who lived through the 19th century. A prominent American essayist, poet, and philosopher, Emerson also had a lot to say about the Transcendentalist movement, being a key figure in its rise. His works emphasized the importance of individualism, self-reliance, and the beauty of nature and proceeded to inspire generations of poets, writers, and thinkers.

From Quiz Who Said That? - Quotes of Yesteryear [1]

Answer: Woody Allen

A controversial figure in Hollywood film making, Allen was an immensely popular auteur director/writer beginning in the 1970s; his 1977 film "Annie Hall" won Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director. Though he would continue to be prolific into the 21st century, his near annual movie releases would rarely reach the popularity of classics like "Manhattan" and "Hannah and Her Sisters", even if they continued to get Oscar nods. As far as filmmakers go, he's always been highly-quotable, likely a by-product of having come up with the comedians of 1960s New York City.

From Quiz Words of Wisdom, Words of Might

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln had accepted an offer to speak at the Henry Ward Beecher's church in Brooklyn in October of 1859. His law partner, William Herndon, advised that he'd not known of a speech that had taken so much of Lincoln's time to research and assemble. He went on to elaborate that the speech was constructed with accuracy and simplicity in mind and that it was "devoid of any rhetoric imagery". Lincoln had critically scrutinized the opinions of the 39 signatories to the US Constitution and noted that the majority of them had agreed that Congress should control slavery in the territories. This made his view (read the Republican view) in line with those of the Founding Fathers and this point was important. Why? There were a number of southern radicals who were threatening to secede should a Republican be elected President - Lincoln, at the time, had not been announced as a Presidential candidate. The speech was a success and it gained Lincoln valuable support in William Seward's home state and go a long way towards showing inconsistencies in the position of his rival Senator Stephen Douglas. More revealing were the words of one of the listeners at that event; "When Lincoln rose to speak, I was greatly disappointed. He was tall, tall, -- oh, how tall! and so angular and awkward that I had, for an instant, a feeling of pity for so ungainly a man." However, once Lincoln warmed up, "his face lighted up as with an inward fire; the whole man was transfigured. I forgot his clothes, his personal appearance, and his individual peculiarities. Presently, forgetting myself, I was on my feet like the rest, yelling like a wild Indian, cheering this wonderful man."

From Quiz Who Said That? - Twentieth-Century Edition

Answer: Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem was born in 1934, and during the 1960s and 1970s became a notable figure in the US feminist movement. She said this a couple of decades later, during a speech at Yale University in September 1991. The point she was making is that women were at one time encouraged to marry successful men and fulfill their lives through his efforts. Now, they were becoming successful themselves, so were achieving fulfillment through their own efforts - a key feminist aim.

From Quiz Do You Know Who Said It ?

Answer: Charlie Brown

'Peanuts' creator Charles M. Schulz was a keen observer of human nature, and Charlie Brown represents his 'average Joe', some days afraid to go out, on other days determined to give life his best shot. He started life in comic strips at about 4 years of age in 1950, and slowly aged to about 8 years old. TV Guide ranked Charlie and his dog Snoopy as among the 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time. Charles Schulz was, like Charlie Brown, the son of a barber. He became a shy, withdrawn teenager, and it would appear that he imbued his main character with his own self-doubts and shyness. After serving as a Staff Sergeant in World War II, he started experimenting with cartoons, worked hard in developing 'Peanuts' throughout the 1950s, and reached his widest acclaim in the 60s and 70s. Through Schulz, Charlie, Linus, Snoopy and Lucy have given the world many gems of home-spun philosophy such as, 'All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.'

From Quiz Quotes About War

Answer: Smedley Butler

Smedley Butler spent 34 years in the US Marine Corps, serving in the Philippine-American War in 1899, the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900, at Vera Cruz during the Mexican Revolution in 1914, and World War I. He was awarded two Medals of Honor; one for service in Mexico, and one for operations in Haiti. Much of his service was spent protecting American business interests in the Caribbean and Central America. He became disillusioned that Marines were used as a police force to promote capitalist ventures abroad. After he retired, he became quite vocal in protesting such profiteering and wrote the book, "War is a Racket" (1935). Lewis "Chesty" Puller gave 37 years of service to the Corps, retiring a Lt General. Like Butler, he also served in the so-called Banana Wars. John Lejeune was also a Lt General who became the 13th Commandant of the US Marine Corps. He served 40 years. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was named for him in 1940. Alexander Vandegrift was a 4-star general who commanded the First Marine Division at Guadalcanal, August 1942 - February 1943. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Solomon Islands campaign in 1942.

From Quiz Ten of My Favorite Quotations

Answer: Robert A. Heinlein

Robert Heinlein was an American aeronautical engineer and science-fiction writer. Born in Butler, Missouri in 1907, he was often referred to as 'The Dean of Science Fiction Writers' due to the fact that he was one of the first sci-fi authors who stressed scientific accuracy in their works of fiction. Four of his novels won Hugo Awards and in 1974 he was named the first Science Fiction Writers Grand Master.

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