The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and When (Paperback)

by Ralph Keyes (Author)
Key Phrases: passion rides, quote collections, random kindness, New York, World War, Mark Twain (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The research in Ralph Keyes' The Quote Verifier is impressive, and each conclusion is like the solution to a real-life historical mystery. Who knew a reference book could be so entertaining?"
--Will Shortz, Crossword Puzzle Editor of The New York Times

"Ralph Keyes has made it his mission to hunt down and expose false quotations, and in The Quote Verifier he does that brilliantly. The Quote Verifier is a much needed corrective to the countless 'quotations' that are misquoted, falsely attributed, or downright wrong. Keyes takes apart with surgical precision every dubious quotation, old and new. In the process, he tells engagingly the stories behind the quotes, stories that are often surprisingly funny and always interesting."
--Sol Steinmetz, co-author of The Life of Language

“Nice Guys Finish Seventh established Ralph Keyes as one of our leading quote sleuthers. With The Quote Verifier, he's become our verifier-in-chief. If you want to know who actually said what, this book is indispensable.”
--Rosalie Maggio, author of The New Beacon Book of Quotations by Women

"Quotations are powerful tools. Michel de Montaigne, the father of all essayists, observed, 'I quote others only to better express myself.' Intrepid quotations detective Ralph Keyes helps us to discover the clear truth about exactly what was said and who exactly said it."
--Richard Lederer, author of Word Wizard

“Quotation tracers will find this an excellent book to consult. It provides all the known details about authorship and wording of a large number of quotes, maxims, observations, slogans, comments, and catch phrases. But this is not simply a reference work. Reading it is a real pleasure. The book is easy to use. Quotes are arranged alphabetically by key word and source references are provided in meticulous detail. As a valuable new scholarly resource, The Quote Verifier will take its place alongside standard books of quotations.”
--Anthony Shipps, author of The Quote Sleuth

"'I never said half the things I said,' Yogi Berra said. Or did he? Ralph Keyes' The Quote Verifier is an invaluable and irresistible resource for determining the provenance of dubious quotations. These have always been around, but with the rise of the internet, on which anyone can attribute anything to anybody, they're spreading at a terrifying pace. Thanks, Keyes, we needed that."
--Ben Yagoda, author of About Town

Product Description

Our language is full of hundreds of quotations that are often cited but seldom confirmed. Ralph Keyes’s The Quote Verifier considers not only classic misquotes such as “Nice guys finish last,” and “Play it again, Sam,” but more surprising ones such as “Ain’t I a woman?” and “Golf is a good walk spoiled,” as well as the origins of popular sayings such as “The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings,” “No one washes a rented car,” and “Make my day.”

Keyes’s in-depth research routinely confounds widespread assumptions about who said what, where, and when. Organized in easy-to-access dictionary form, The Quote Verifier also contains special sections highlighting commonly misquoted people and genres, such as Yogi Berra and Oscar Wilde, famous last words, and misremembered movie lines.

An invaluable resource for not just those with a professional need to quote accurately, but anyone at all who is interested in the roots of words and phrases, The Quote Verifier is not only a fascinating piece of literary sleuthing, but also a great read.

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (May 30, 2006) Language: English ISBN-10: 0312340044 ISBN-13: 978-0312340049 Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #125,865 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #62 in  Books > Reference > Education > Questions & Answers

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
passion rides, quote collections, random kindness, good walk spoiled, quotation collections, hundred fathers

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, World War, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill, John Kennedy, United States, Samuel Johnson, Harry Truman, Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Reader's Digest, Will Rogers, Dorothy Parker, George Bernard Shaw, Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt, Poor Richard, The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Mae West, Richard Nixon, William Safire, Benjamin Franklin, Nigel Rees, Thomas Jefferson

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Words on Words by David Crystal

Discusses:

• quotation collections
• Oscar Wilde
• Samuel Johnson

America's Popular Sayings by Gregory Titelman

Discusses:

• hundred fathers
• Reader's Digest
• William Safire

American Aurora by Richard N. Rosenfeld

Discusses:

• passion rides
• Poor Richard
• Benjamin Franklin

Words on Words by David Crystal Discusses: quotation collections Oscar Wilde Samuel Johnson America's Popular Sayings by Gregory Titelman Discusses: hundred fathers Reader's Digest William Safire American Aurora by Richard N. Rosenfeld Discusses: passion rides Poor Richard Benjamin Franklin Loading...

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	80% buy the item featured on this page: The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and When 4.6 out of 5 stars (7) $14.35
	6% buy Great Quotes from Great Leaders 3.7 out of 5 stars (7) $8.99
	6% buy The Yale Book of Quotations 4.6 out of 5 stars (23) $31.50
	4% buy I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double Whammy, Drop a Dime, and the Forgotten Origins of American Speech 4.8 out of 5 stars (9) $17.13

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below. quotations(2) quote collection(2) quotes(2) reference(1) verification(1) See all 6 tags... Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 18 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars You Can Quote Me on This, June 28, 2006 By  Beckman Communications "book doctor" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Two years ago, my co-workers made fun of me because I tried to use the word "eponymous" in a news release. They deleted it, saying that no one knows what that word means anymore. One of the many things I like about Ralph Keyes is that he uses words like "eponymous" -- and he expects that you'll know what it means, too. Keyes' writing will either teach you some really cool words to use at cocktail parties -- or make you wish that you had paid more attention during your 8th-grade vocabulary class. With Quote Verifier (QV), Keyes has added more fodder to the quote mill, which he kicked off with his Nice Guys Finish Seventh. QV can be read from beginning to end, or it can be read non-linearly as a reference. Who originally came up with "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."? Kennedy? Which one? Neither, actually. You'll find this under the alphabetical listings under ASK, where you'll find that Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said something remarkably similar 80 years before JFK did. There's an entire section (under the "Ks") devoted to the Kennedys, especially John and Robert. Having grown up in Massachusetts, I was often treated to "Kennedyisms." John Kennedy usually cited his sources. Bobby often cited John and Ted credited Bobby. Also, as a former and unreformed New Englander, I was ecstatic to see that theologian Reinhold Niebuhr was correctly credited for his "Serenity Prayer," as opposed to "anonymous," which I so often see. (Niebuhr's widow lived up the street from me and was the speaker at my high school graduation.) However, "Shays' Rebellion" was spelled "Shay's Rebellion," a mistake commonly made in the Midwest. Daniel Shays hasn't been quoted for saying anything remarkable, or I'm sure Keyes would have gotten his name right. The book is organized in a very user-friendly manner. The key words in each quote are in all caps and the quotes are listed alphabetically according to the key words. An index in the back directs you to the people who said -- or didn't -- what you're trying to find. Also in the back is a key word index directing you to the quote. If you sit down and read this book linearly as I did, a few things are bound to happen: 1) You'll hear people cited for things all over the place for things they didn't think up first. Coincidentally, I was reading the section about an army travelling on its stomach when someone made reference to it on television (attributing it incorrectly to Napoleon, as most people do according to Keyes). 2) You'll be afraid to quote anyone for fear of getting it wrong. 3) You'll wonder how long Keyes worked on digging up each quote's source. His sources range from Celestial Seasonings tea boxes and Reader's Digest (which I am going to take with a grain of salt now) to university libraries and tottering biographers of celebrities of centuries past. If someone ever found the ancient libraries of Alexandria, Keyes would be the first in line to check out who really said that an army travels on its stomach. It's kind of scary. I wouldn't want this to be a library book that I had to return. I would want it on hand, where I could refer to it frequently and react with my notes in the margins. This book would be a good purchase for people who like to use quotes (in speeches, newsletters, classes) and want to be correct. It would make a great reference for any student or writer, as well as anyone who wants to know more about the history of our favorite expressions. 12 of 13 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Verifiably Excellent, July 22, 2006 By  Paul Kocak (Syracuse) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I was so impressed with a newspaper feature on Ralph Keyes's The Quote Verifier that I ordered the book right away. I was not disappointed. There are few books I have ever encountered that are more thoroughly researched -- and so entertaining. The book is either a conversation starter (or spoiler, depending on your audience). Keyes delights in debunking commonly held assumptions about famous quotes, but there's no malice. Just meticulous and entertaining research. He points out the evolution of quotations (often much like the children's game of Telephone). I love how this wonderful reference is organized: alphabetically according to key words, interspersed with special sections on those who are frequently quoted, and a "verdict" at the end of each entry to help the reader reach a decision on a quote's origin or evolution). Thus, a special section on Yogi Berra tracks down a bunch of alleged "Yogi-isms." You might be surprised. I was. Gems abound a nearly every page. And the research is cited in a way that makes it fun to learn the origin of a phrase (or the lack of such knowledge). An example is the famous phrase "Iron Curtain." It is commonly known that Winston Churchill used that phrase in a 1946 sppech about Soviet influence. But Keyes exhaustively points out a whole bunch of similar uses that occurred much earlier. Then he gives a verdict: "Many authors, one key publicist -- Winston Churchill." I loved reading the blurb on the phrase "fifteen minutes of fame" (is it Andy Warhol's? Hey, I don't want to give away the juicy tidbits) and on the phrase "May you live in interesting times" (is it really of Chineses origin?). And so many others. Keyes's book has delighted me so much I recently found it a worthy companion on a long trip. I recommend this book to teachers and professors (even just to educate students in acquiring a healthy skepticism), news reporters and editors, talk show hosts, and anyone interested in history or good conversation. It should be on every library shelf, both public and private. 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Worth Every Penny, August 15, 2006 By  Phillip G. Knightley - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This book does exactly what the title says it does. All those quotes you use from time to time and never know the source are now a thing of the past. I wrote a book once called "The First Casualty", taken from the quote "The first casualty when war comes is truth." I looked it up in this book and there it all was--who said it, where and when and an assessment of the value to place on each attribution. The book is worth every penny you pay for it.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars The Black Book of Quotes This is not the type of book to read straight through, but rather to pick up from time to time and learn the brief history of the most famous quotations in English history. Read more Published 4 months ago by D. Olinger 4.0 out of 5 stars I love Quotes I love quotes and I never really trust the source. Well, this book exhaustively evaluates who said what. Read more Published 6 months ago by Shannon Reynolds 5.0 out of 5 stars A MAGNIFICENT BOOK The Quote Verifier is entirely magnificent. Who can resist this book? I can't stop reading it. It's like eating peanuts: once you start you can't stop. Read more Published on July 21, 2006 by Patrick O'Connor, writer and b... 5.0 out of 5 stars The Right Verifier I could not have imagined a reference book that reads like a novel. Fortunately, Ralph Keyes could. An exceptional accomplishment. Layne Longfellow, Ph.D. Read more Published on July 20, 2006 by L. Longfellow Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)   Discussion Replies Latest Post   No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   [Cancel] Guidelines Active discussions in related forums   Discussion Replies Latest Post education Obama says longer school days and years will bring the US up to par. 1426 17 minutes ago education Homeschooling101! 313 1 hour ago education African Americans and Standardized Tests: The Real Reason for Low Test Scores 63 8 hours ago education Merit Pay for Teachers...How does that actually work? 23 1 day ago education Great Read Alouds for 3rd Grade 2 1 day ago education looking for great read alouds 1-3rd grade 5 2 days ago reference Encyclopedia 0 18 days ago

The Quotations community Latest activity 4 hours ago 638 customers have contributed 577 products, 31 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Reference community Latest activity 11 minutes ago 6,483 customers have contributed 8,643 products, 208 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Motivation community Latest activity 5 hours ago 1,852 customers have contributed 1,198 products, 140 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community Related forums education (86 discussions) motivation (12 discussions) quotations quote... reference (1 discussion) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Listmania!

Great Quote Books To Own!: A list by Todd Hagopian "Todd Hagopian"   Teach English? Keep These Books Within Reach!: A list by Ken C. Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

take a moment to see some books?: A guide by Melody Davis Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Reference > Education > Questions & Answers
• Books > Reference > Quotations

---

Smooth Operator Find garage door products (opener kits, remotes, mini-key-chain controls, and wireless-key entry systems) in the Hardware Store. Opening the garage door shouldn’t be a chore. ›Shop all garage door hardware

Best Books of 2008 Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.

Don't Blow a Gasket Check your gaskets' seals for leaks to make sure your plumbing appliances are working efficiently. Shop for gaskets now. ›See all gaskets

Best Books See our editors' picks and more of the best new books on our Best of the Month page.

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Where's My Stuff? Track your recent orders. View or change your orders in Your Account. Shipping & Returns See our shipping rates & policies. See FREE shipping information. Return an item (here's our Returns Policy). Need Help? Forgot your password? Buy gift cards. Visit our Help department.

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)

You have no recently viewed items or searches. After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.	Continue shopping: Top Sellers Paranoia by Joseph Finder 4.1 out of 5 stars (183)$0.00 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.7 out of 5 stars (187)$6.59 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.7 out of 5 stars (187)$6.59 Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning 3.7 out of 5 stars (214)$0.00

Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores

International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us

Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings

Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Careers at Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (May 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312340044
• ISBN-13: 978-0312340049
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #125,865 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #62 in

  Books > Reference > Education > Questions & Answers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Can Quote Me on This, June 28, 2006

By	Beckman Communications "book doctor" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Two years ago, my co-workers made fun of me because I tried to use the word "eponymous" in a news release. They deleted it, saying that no one knows what that word means anymore. One of the many things I like about Ralph Keyes is that he uses words like "eponymous" -- and he expects that you'll know what it means, too. Keyes' writing will either teach you some really cool words to use at cocktail parties -- or make you wish that you had paid more attention during your 8th-grade vocabulary class.

With Quote Verifier (QV), Keyes has added more fodder to the quote mill, which he kicked off with his Nice Guys Finish Seventh. QV can be read from beginning to end, or it can be read non-linearly as a reference.

Who originally came up with "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."? Kennedy? Which one? Neither, actually. You'll find this under the alphabetical listings under ASK, where you'll find that Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said something remarkably similar 80 years before JFK did. There's an entire section (under the "Ks") devoted to the Kennedys, especially John and Robert. Having grown up in Massachusetts, I was often treated to "Kennedyisms." John Kennedy usually cited his sources. Bobby often cited John and Ted credited Bobby.

Also, as a former and unreformed New Englander, I was ecstatic to see that theologian Reinhold Niebuhr was correctly credited for his "Serenity Prayer," as opposed to "anonymous," which I so often see. (Niebuhr's widow lived up the street from me and was the speaker at my high school graduation.) However, "Shays' Rebellion" was spelled "Shay's Rebellion," a mistake commonly made in the Midwest. Daniel Shays hasn't been quoted for saying anything remarkable, or I'm sure Keyes would have gotten his name right.

The book is organized in a very user-friendly manner. The key words in each quote are in all caps and the quotes are listed alphabetically according to the key words. An index in the back directs you to the people who said -- or didn't -- what you're trying to find. Also in the back is a key word index directing you to the quote.

If you sit down and read this book linearly as I did, a few things are bound to happen:

1) You'll hear people cited for things all over the place for things they didn't think up first. Coincidentally, I was reading the section about an army travelling on its stomach when someone made reference to it on television (attributing it incorrectly to Napoleon, as most people do according to Keyes).
2) You'll be afraid to quote anyone for fear of getting it wrong.
3) You'll wonder how long Keyes worked on digging up each quote's source. His sources range from Celestial Seasonings tea boxes and Reader's Digest (which I am going to take with a grain of salt now) to university libraries and tottering biographers of celebrities of centuries past. If someone ever found the ancient libraries of Alexandria, Keyes would be the first in line to check out who really said that an army travels on its stomach. It's kind of scary.

I wouldn't want this to be a library book that I had to return. I would want it on hand, where I could refer to it frequently and react with my notes in the margins. This book would be a good purchase for people who like to use quotes (in speeches, newsletters, classes) and want to be correct. It would make a great reference for any student or writer, as well as anyone who wants to know more about the history of our favorite expressions.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Verifiably Excellent, July 22, 2006

By	Paul Kocak (Syracuse) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was so impressed with a newspaper feature on Ralph Keyes's The Quote Verifier that I ordered the book right away. I was not disappointed. There are few books I have ever encountered that are more thoroughly researched -- and so entertaining. The book is either a conversation starter (or spoiler, depending on your audience). Keyes delights in debunking commonly held assumptions about famous quotes, but there's no malice. Just meticulous and entertaining research. He points out the evolution of quotations (often much like the children's game of Telephone). I love how this wonderful reference is organized: alphabetically according to key words, interspersed with special sections on those who are frequently quoted, and a "verdict" at the end of each entry to help the reader reach a decision on a quote's origin or evolution). Thus, a special section on Yogi Berra tracks down a bunch of alleged "Yogi-isms." You might be surprised. I was. Gems abound a nearly every page. And the research is cited in a way that makes it fun to learn the origin of a phrase (or the lack of such knowledge). An example is the famous phrase "Iron Curtain." It is commonly known that Winston Churchill used that phrase in a 1946 sppech about Soviet influence. But Keyes exhaustively points out a whole bunch of similar uses that occurred much earlier. Then he gives a verdict: "Many authors, one key publicist -- Winston Churchill." I loved reading the blurb on the phrase "fifteen minutes of fame" (is it Andy Warhol's? Hey, I don't want to give away the juicy tidbits) and on the phrase "May you live in interesting times" (is it really of Chineses origin?). And so many others. Keyes's book has delighted me so much I recently found it a worthy companion on a long trip. I recommend this book to teachers and professors (even just to educate students in acquiring a healthy skepticism), news reporters and editors, talk show hosts, and anyone interested in history or good conversation. It should be on every library shelf, both public and private.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth Every Penny, August 15, 2006

By	Phillip G. Knightley - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book does exactly what the title says it does. All those quotes you use from time to time and never know the source are now a thing of the past. I wrote a book once called "The First Casualty", taken from the quote "The first casualty when war comes is truth." I looked it up in this book and there it all was--who said it, where and when and an assessment of the value to place on each attribution. The book is worth every penny you pay for it.