WIST Quotations

Doctor Who (1963) -- 17×05 “The Horns of Nimon,” Part 1 (1979-12-22) [w. Anthony Read]

Dave — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 19:17:23 +0000

ROMANA: Don’t you think that’s a bit dangerous?

THE DOCTOR: No, I don’t! What could possibly go — (The TARDIS lurches, knocking the Doctor over) — wrong? You know, I’ve simply got to stop saying that! Every single time I say “What could possibly go wrong?” something goes — oh! (The TARDIS lurches again, knocking both over) It’s uncanny, isn’t it?

Doctor Who (1963–1989) British science fiction television series, original run (BBC)
17×05 “The Horns of Nimon,” Part 1 (1979-12-22) [w. Anthony Read]
(Source)

(Source (Video); dialogue verified)

Doyle, Arthur Conan -- Story (1891-08), “The Red-Headed League,” The Strand Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 2

Dave — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 23:36:07 +0000

“You will remember that I remarked the other day, just before we went into the very simple problem presented by Miss Mary Sutherland, that for strange effects and extraordinary combinations we must go to life itself, which is always far more daring than any effort of the imagination.”
“A proposition which I took the liberty of doubting.”
“You did, Doctor, but none the less you must come round to my view, for otherwise I shall keep on piling fact upon fact on you until your reason breaks down under them and acknowledges me to be right.”

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) British writer and physician
Story (1891-08), “The Red-Headed League,” The Strand Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 2
(Source)

Collected in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, No. 2.

Armstrong, Charlotte -- The Dream Walker (1955)

Dave — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 20:23:57 +0000

Coincidence means only a connection that’s not seen. Roots meet underground.

Charlotte Armstrong (1905–1969) American author [pseud. for Charlotte Armstrong Lewi, a.k.a. Jo Valentine]
The Dream Walker (1955)
(Source)

Stout, Rex -- Champagne for One, ch. 5 [Wolfe] (1958)

Dave — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 16:36:59 +0000

In a world that operates largely at random, coincidences are to be expected, but any one of them must always be mistrusted.

Rex Stout (1886–1975) American writer
Champagne for One, ch. 5 [Wolfe] (1958)
(Source)

Asimov, Isaac -- “The Planet that Wasn’t,” The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (May 1975)

Dave — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:40:38 +0000

People are entirely too disbelieving of coincidence. They are far too ready to dismiss it and to build arcane structures of extremely rickety substance in order to avoid it.

Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) Russian-American author, polymath, biochemist
“The Planet that Wasn’t,” The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (May 1975)
(Source)

Aaronovitch, Ben -- False Value (2020)

Dave — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:31:25 +0000

But everyone assumes causation when they should be thinking coincidence, and correlation when they should be asking whether Twitter is really a reliable source of information.

Ben Aaronovitch (b. 1964) British author
False Value (2020)
(Source)

Oliver, Mary -- “Sand Dabs, Five,” Winter Hours (1999)

Dave — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 23:09:33 +0000

You can have the other words — chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity. I’ll take grace. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’ll take it.

Mary Oliver (1935–2019) American poet
“Sand Dabs, Five,” Winter Hours (1999)
(Source)

Aaronovitch, Ben -- Rivers of London [Midnight Riot] (2011)

Dave — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 14:49:38 +0000

Sometimes I wonder whether if I’d been the one that went for coffee and not Leslie May my life would have been much less interesting and certainly much less dangerous. Could it have been anyone, or was it destiny? When I’m considering this I find it helpful to quote the wisdom of my father, who once told me, “Who knows why the fuck anything happens?”

Ben Aaronovitch (b. 1964) British author
Rivers of London [Midnight Riot] (2011)

Asimov, Isaac -- Essay (1975-05), “The Planet That Wasn’t,” Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Vol. 48, No. 5

Dave — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:16:15 +0000

People are entirely too disbelieving of coincidence. They are far too ready to dismiss it and to build arcane structures of extremely rickety substance in order to avoid it. I, on the other hand, see coincidence everywhere as an inevitable consequence of the laws of probability, according to which having no unusual coincidence is far more unusual than any coincidence could possibly be.

Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) Russian-American author, polymath, biochemist
Essay (1975-05), “The Planet That Wasn’t,” Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Vol. 48, No. 5
(Source)

Collected in The Planet That Wasn't (1976).

Emerson, Ralph Waldo -- Essay (1860), “Worship,” The Conduct of Life, ch. 6

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 18:00:00 +0000

Shallow men believe in luck, believe in circumstances — it was somebody’s name, or he happened to be there at the time, or it was so then, and another day would have been otherwise. Strong men believe in cause and effect.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American essayist, lecturer, poet
Essay (1860), “Worship,” The Conduct of Life, ch. 6
(Source)

Based on a course of lectures, "The Conduct of Life," delivered in Pittsburg (1851-03).

Watterson, Bill -- Calvin and Hobbes (1990-05-11)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

CALVIN: I’d say that crossed the line from Ironic Coincidence to Evil Omen.

Bill Watterson (b. 1958) American cartoonist
Calvin and Hobbes (1990-05-11)
(Source)