A Thing I Wish the Internet Would Learn

...Is that a "quote" (or quotation) isn't just the quotation itself. It also needs a citation to be complete. Where is it written? Or what was the first known attribution?

"'Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country' —John F. Kennedy"

...is not enough, because there's not enough information there to check. It could be attributed to Patrick Hale or Franklin D. Roosevelt and the ignorant would be none the wiser.

"'And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.' —U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Washington, D.C., January 20th, 1961"

...That's a quotation.

What the person said or wrote is half of a proper quote or quotation. The citation is the other half.

Almost all of the "quotes" on the Internet need to say "(attributed to) X" (italics mine). It also doesn't really matter how many times an attribution has been repeated—it can still be wrong. And often is. The Internet has long-tailed echoes. People want what they quote to have been said by someone regarded as famous and wise. I read some time back that in the U.S., mis-attributed quotes are most often put into the mouths of Mark Twain, Abraham Lincoln, or Albert Einstein (and who says so? I don't remember).

And if someone famous repeats something that's already been said, they often get the credit for it. For example, John Lennon did say, or rather sing, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans," but the quotation, with slightly different wording, was first attributed to one Allen Saunders, at least according to Reader's Digest in January of 1957. However, Reader's Digest itself doesn't give the full citation, so we're not actually sure whether the Allen Saunders who said it was the Allen Saunders who wrote the comic strip "Mary Worth," or where he said it, or even if he did. But the quotation predates Lennon. And the sentiment goes back to ancient times. (Source: Quote Investigator.)

I used to read the dictionary (my beloved Webster's Second, which is lost—I'm hoping it's in the barn somewhere), and I like to read Quote Investigator.

I'm only writing this now because I'm embarrassed that I attributed that Pascal quote the other day to Mark Twain. Just like an ignoramus would do. Lazy.

But anyway, quotes out on the wilds of the Internets ought to be tagged with "....Somebody said that." That's about all most Internet attributions are worth, in my experience. Searching for quotes on the Web can be very frustrating, if it's something QI hasn't covered.

/rant,

Mike

Original contents copyright 2023 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Ernest Zarate: "I saw a trailer for stand up comedian Marc Maron's Netflix show, 'End Times Fun.' He said (and I’m heavily paraphrasing), 'If you made a column of all the things you think you know, and another column of how you know those things, most of that second column is "Oh, some guy told me." Goes into your head, locks on to a feeling…"that sounds good. I’m going to tell other people that!"' Seems to fit your explanation of quotes. 'Misquoting and mis-attributing qoutes is a time honored and long standing tradition, far predating the internet,' said someone, somewhere, at some time."

John Camp: "I had to read Henry James in college literature classes, and I did, but I never understood why. For years afterward, I'd quote Mark Twain's famous line, that James 'chewed more than he bit off.' Unfortunately, Twain never said that. Marilyn 'Clover' Adams did: 'It's not that he "bites off more than he can chew," but he chews more than he bites off.'"

Arg: "'A "quote" (or quotation) isn't just the quotation itself. It also needs a citation to be complete.' —Mike Johnston, posted in his blog The Online Photographer, Monday, 24 April 2023 at 8:51 a.m."

Mike replies: Exackalackly.

Comments

[NikoJorj]

Someone said a picture is worth a thousand words, didn't she?

https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C5622AQFZRDSX5PcRRA/feedshare-shrink_2048_1536/0/1630821302404?e=1684972800&v=beta&t=aehexFsesEjM-3PzazyYsAh_fd6k4qNUWkc0A_g_bHI

[Sean]

I read the Pascal quote, which didn't come with a citation, in this book.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Bell-Tolls-David-Marsh/dp/1783350121

One of the reasons for reading it was to comment on TOP without you having to correct my spelling and grammar, which you've had to do on many occasions, but always with kindness and consideration.

In a way, you’ve helped me to help you.

[Ben]

Don't think that it's necessary to always include the full citation, and is sometimes acceptable instead using a hypertext link to that information. For example, linking the name of the person quoted, for example, to a video confirming the quotation, to a search, or to the quote investigator, goodreads, or brainy quote page for that quotation. Especially useful when the source is ambiguous or the history of the evolution of the quotation is complicated. Or even better, include both the full citation, and the link(s).