Familiar Quotations
1944
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations is the granddaddy of all quotation books, first compiled in 1855 by John Bartlett, a Cambridge bookseller. This 1944 edition represents decades of careful curation, gathering the wit, wisdom, and memorable lines that have shaped English-language literature and discourse. Organized chronologically from ancient times through the early twentieth century, it traces how phrases migrate from their original contexts into the general vocabulary of educated speakers. The collection includes excerpts from Shakespeare, the Bible, Milton, Tennyson, and hundreds of other writers whose language became so influential that their words no longer feel quoted, they simply feel true. For writers, speakers, students, and anyone who has ever wondered 'who said that,' this reference work has been the answer for over a century and a half. It endures not as mere anthology but as a record of the sentences that built our cultural vocabulary.
Editions
X-Ray
“You may be shocked by how fragile information is, and I fear it is only getting worse. Each transmission of a quote can sometimes seem to produce cracks in the truth.””
— Unknown
“Artemus Ward: Respected Sir”
— Unknown
“Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Dorothy Parker, and Yogi Berra are quotation superstars. Personas of this type are so vibrant and attractive that they become hosts for quotations they never uttered. A remark formulated by a lesser-known figure is attached to a famous host. The relationship is symbiotic and often enhances the popularity of both the host and the quotation.””
— Unknown
“In the struggle for survival, the cutest win out at the expense of the less cute because they appeal more to celebrities and, through them, to a live television audience.””
— Unknown
“May you live in interesting times.””
— Unknown
“In the years after the death of Confucius circa 479 BC, a compilation of his teachings and aphorisms was constructed and is now referred to as the Analects. One passage instructs a benevolent ruler on how to rule”
— Unknown
“In 1996, as discussed earlier, Gates denied that he made the remark. He also questioned the existence of any solid reference for the statement:””
— Unknown
“Interestingly, over a long period, a popular expression can shift ascriptions multiple times as the fame of individuals expands and contracts. You may be shocked by how fragile information is, and I fear it is only getting worse.””
— Unknown
“Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. In””
— Unknown
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Unknown. Familiar Quotations. Lex, lex-books.com/book/familiar-quotations-369a127f-1ea0-4800-a656-bfb6997f3312.Unknown (1944). Familiar Quotations. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/familiar-quotations-369a127f-1ea0-4800-a656-bfb6997f3312Unknown. Familiar Quotations. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/familiar-quotations-369a127f-1ea0-4800-a656-bfb6997f3312.