I try, every day, to live up to my name — Professor Buzzkill. Some days are easier than others, and this is certainly one of those. People often take the quotation “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness,” not only as comforting advice on how to get through tough times, but…

The exact wording of the “Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all other possibilities” quote varies a little bit from time to time, but it essentially conveys the same message — Americans are a self-interested people, but they eventually do the right thing. But did Churchill…

Lawrence Peter Berra was born in St. Louis in 1925 and went on to become one of the most famous players in baseball history. In his 18 years with the New York Yankees, he anchored them at catcher, was a power hitter, and a mainstay for the team during their famous post-war run of dominance…

Albert Einstein was one of the most significant scientific geniuses of the 20th century. His theories helped scientists break through some of the barriers to our understanding the physical world and the universe. He also contributed greatly to the philosophy of science. Is it any wonder, therefore, that the quote, “the definition of insanity is…

P. T. Barnum, the famous 19th-century American showman and founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, is often quoted as saying “there’s a sucker born every minute.” This “quote” is usually trotted out to refer to something that con-men or other shysters who try to separate people from their hard-earned money (as in, selling them…

Harry Truman was generally known as one of the most plain- and direct-speaking of American Presidents. So much so that he is generally credited with coining the phrase, “the buck stops here.” By the time Truman became president in 1945, “passing the buck” had long been American slang for passing the responsibility for something onto…

Most people believe they know what Adolf Hitler’s plans for a post-war world would be — German domination. After all, didn’t he say, “Today Germany, Tomorrow the World”? Well, Hitler certainly expressed ideas along these lines, although there is no record of him saying it in so few words. The closest Hitler quote that Buzzkill…

The phrase and sentiment, “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song,” is one of the best-known expressions of the intrinsic nature of art and beauty. It has been quoted by presidents and school teachers, and practically everyone in between. And we all “know” that the quote…

Outrageous charges and indefensible political ideas are often hurled around in times of political turmoil and rhetorical strife. Commentators sometimes respond by wheeling out the old “quote” by the French philosopher and Enlightenment writer, Voltaire, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” in an…

Ah, the 1970s. Lots of important things happened then, including the political coming of age of yours truly. This crucial development in world history was only surpassed by things like the high point of the women’s rights movement. These two great events came together in that other late-60s and early-70s development — the t-shirt with…