How the Wit Was Won Online Quiz | Who Said It?

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1. This woman was a political dynamo. Her political and economic philosophies were right-wing and pro-corporate. Who said, "It may be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the eggs."?

Answer: Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, n�e Roberts, was born October 13, 1925 in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. She died at the age of 87 in London. Thatcher is the only woman to have held the office of British Prime Minister and was Britain's longest-serving P.M. in the 20th century. "Thatcherism" became a representation of her staunch political posture and ethical viewpoints. The Russians were the first to dub her "Iron Lady".

2. This man was posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2008. He was a primary factor in the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, which upheld the notion that the government had the ability to regulate obscene material on the public airwaves. Who said: "'I am' is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that 'I do' is the longest sentence?"

Answer: George Carlin

George Denis Patrick Carlin (1937-2008) was an American comedian, actor, and author. He was perhaps best known for his "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine which spawned the F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation. He is also remembered for his routine as a disc jockey on the fictional radio station "Wonderful WINO" and as Al Sleet, the "hippie-dippie weatherman", among others.
In 2004, Carlin came in 2nd place on the Comedy Central list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians, ahead of Lenny Bruce and behind Richard Pryor.

3. This writer started her career as a fill-in theater critic for "Vanity Fair Magazine". She was known for her acerbic wit and was a founding member of The Algonquin Round Table. She once quipped, "I'm not a writer with a drinking problem, I'm a drinker with a writing problem".

Answer: Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker was fired from her job with "Vanity Fair" after insulting almost everyone who was anyone in theater. She was more successful writing for "The New Yorker".
She was twice nominated for Academy Awards for co-writing the screen plays for 1937's "A Star is Born" and 1947's "Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman".
During the McCarthy Era, she was blacklisted and returned to NY. She then wrote book reviews for "Esquire Magazine" from 1957-1962.
Dorothy Parker died in 1967 at the age of 73.

4. This quote is attributed to a U.S. president whose likeness is one of the four presidents featured on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Who said, "If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?"

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, had unusual physical features. He was very tall, had a marfan-like body shape, large bumpy lips, a mole on his right cheek, a large jaw, and drooping eyelids. He was not considered handsome. Mount Rushmore is located in in the U.S. state of South Dakota and is comprised of four 60-foot marble statues carved into the mountain.

It is a testament to four U.S. Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Richard M. Nixon was elected president nearly 30 years after the opening of Mt.Rushmore and is therefore not depicted on the monument.

5. This comedian was best known for his longevity and partnership with Gracie Allen. Who is this man who stated, ironically, "If you live to be one hundred, you've got it made. Very few people die past that age."?

Answer: George Burns

George Burns, born Nathan Birnbaum, and his wife Gracie Allen got their start on the vaudeville circuit in the 1920s. They then transitioned to radio and film before landing on CBS television in 1950. George Burns passed away on March 9, 1996, less than two months after his 100th birthday.

6. This comedic actor who said "Begin every day with a smile and get it over with" began his showbiz career on stage as The Eccentric Juggler. Later, on screen, he portrayed himself as a booze-driven scoundrel.

Answer: W. C. Fields

William Claud Dunkenfield (1880-1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an internationally acclaimed juggler before making films. Because of a stutter, he rarely spoke to the audience. It was by accident that he was discovered to be a comedian when stagehands and performers waiting in the wings would hear him mumble sarcastic reprimands to an object he was juggling that didn't land correctly.

7. This woman, a civil rights activist, feminist and substantial lecturer, was considered quite outspoken for her time. Which woman observed, "A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."?

Answer: Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was an advocate of the rights and needs of the poor, of minorities and of the disadvantaged. She was the first presidential spouse to hold press conferences and to write a syndicated newspaper column ("My Day"). Lorena Hickock was a reporter and good friend of Roosevelt.

8. This writer, the son of an Orthodox Jewish immigrant, lived during and wrote primarily about the California Gold Rush. Who said, "We begin to die as soon as we are born, and the end is linked to the beginning."?

Answer: Bret Harte

Bret Harte (1836-1902) made his way to the California gold country in 1853. Despite the fact his formal education ended at age 13 he found employment in California as a teacher and journalist. In 1868 Harte's "The Luck of Roaring Camp" appeared in the August edition of the "Overland Monthly". The short story secured him national recognition.

9. Going back to the 12th century, this woman was a spirited aristocrat who became a duchess at a very tender age. She married Louis VII of France of whom she reportedly said, "I thought I was wed to a king- now I find I am wed to a monk."

Answer: Eleanor of Aquitaine

As soon as Eleanor became the Duchess of Aquitaine in 1137 she was desired by many European men of influence. Following her marriage to Louis and its eventual annulment, Eleanor married Henry II of England. She was subsequently imprisoned for 16 years for treason for supporting her son's plot against Henry II and the throne. Constance of Castile and Adela of Champagne were, respectively, the second and third wives of Louis VII. Matilda of Scotland was the first wife of Henry I of England.

10. Used by the Kennedy brothers and often incorrectly attributed to John F. Kennedy which Irish Nobel and Oscar winning playwright spoke the original words: "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'"

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) wrote this in "Back to Methuselah",(1949). He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925 and an Oscar in 1938 for "Pygmalion".
President John F. Kennedy quoted these words in his address to the Irish Parliament in Dublin, June 28, 1963
Senator Robert F. Kennedy used a similar quotation as a theme of his 1968 campaign for the presidential nomination: "Some men see things as they are and say, why; I dream things that never were and say, why not?"
Senator Edward M. Kennedy quoted these words of Robert Kennedy's in his eulogy for his brother in 1968.

Source: Author shadowzep

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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How the Wit Was Won Trivia Quiz

These pearls were uttered over the ages by people who made a difference -- one way or another. They are among The Mighty Mossbacks' favorites.

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