Quick Quotes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Oscar Wilde

The Irish playwright Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was known for his hedonism. This was reflected in his Gothic horror novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1891), from which the quote comes. The novel was controversial at the time with deletions made to the original 1890 novella before publication. Wilde added a preface and expanded the text from 13 to 20 chapters for the 1891 novel.

There have been many adaptations for film and stage. The uncensored novella was finally published in 2011.

Answer: Julius Caesar

The Latin phrase "alea iacta est", meaning "the die is cast", is a variation of words attributed to Julius Caesar by the Roman author Suetonius in his book "The Twelve Caesars". This was the occasion in 49 BC when he crossed the Rubicon River with his army in defiance of the Roman Senate.

Indicating that events have passed a point of no return, it was the start of a long civil war and gave rise to the idiom "crossing the Rubicon". Another source states that the words were spoken in Greek and meant "let a die be cast", more in the sense of "let the game begin".

Answer: Ronald Reagan

This quote is a line from the middle of a speech given by the then United States President Ronald Reagan. The speech was made on 12 June 1987 at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, West Germany. The day before some 50,000 protested against Reagan's presence.

The wall in question was the Berlin Wall that encircled West Berlin, isolating it from the surrounding lands of the Democratic Republic of Germany during the Cold War era. The wall came down in 1989.

Answer: Mae West

Known for her ribald satire, Mae West delivered this line during the 1933 black comedy film "I'm No Angel". She also wrote or co-wrote the story, the screenplay, and the dialogue for the film. The film fell into the era of Pre-Code Hollywood before the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code, also known as the Hays Code.

The Hays Code provided censorship guidelines, with many of Mae West's subsequent films being affected.

Answer: William Shakespeare

This is a Shakespeare quote coming from his play "Hamlet". The character Polonius speaks the words in Act 2, Scene 2. Wit at the time equated to intelligence, so being brief showed intelligence. Polonius, despite his observation, is verbose. His character is often the target of Hamlet's cruel humour due to his sycophantic nature.

Despite the passage of time, the quote is still valid today even as the meaning of wit has changed.

Answer: Groucho Marx

This is attributed to Groucho Marx. The story behind it has developed over the years with different clubs mentioned. The longevity is not surprising perhaps as a witty joke can have more impact than the biographical note. His 1959 memoir "Groucho and Me" mentions the club as the Friars Club of Beverly Hills, and the quote was included in his letter of resignation. Whatever the wording or the club involved, the story is consistent with his personality.

Answer: Samuel Johnson

The full quote is: "Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." This was part of a conversation between Samuel Johnson and his friend James Boswell on 20 September 1777. Johnson died in 1784.

It was Boswell's practice of keeping detailed journal entries throughout his life that provided the source for much of his writing. The biography "Life of Samuel Johnson" was published in 1791 and is the best known of the contemporary biographies.

Answer: Benjamin Franklin

Franklin was known for distilling wisdom into memorable lines blending humour with common sense. This is one of those quotes that has morphed with time. About guests outstaying their welcome, a modern rendition might state: "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days." Benjamin Franklin's version was published in his 1736 edition of "Poor Richard's Almanac".

It is possibly a variation of an early 16th century one: "Fish and guests in three days are stale" recorded by John Lyly in his "Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit" (1578).

The 1578 book is also cited as the source for "All is fair in love and war".

Answer: Mark Twain

Mark Twain is known for his sharp wit. Since the internet there has been a flush of quotes attributed to him, although most of these post-date his death. Truth, however, was one topic on which he commented many times, perhaps a reflection of his journalism.

This particular quote is one of the Pudd'nhead maxims which started each chapter in his 1897 book of social commentary "Following the Equator". The book is dedicated to a young friend, encouraging him to 'live a little' like the author. There is a handwritten dedication under Twain's photo which reads: "Be good & you will be lonesome."

Answer: Yogi Berra

Baseball player Yogi Berra was known for his comically wise sayings. He affirms this quote as his in his 1998 book "The Yogi Book: I really Didn't Say Everything I Said". It is also the title of a 2001 book which he co-authored. Some context was given in a 2009 biography, namely these were part of directions to his home that he was given to friend and fellow baseball player Joe Garagiola. In this case, taking either fork would work equally well.