WIST Quotations

Ingersoll, Robert Green -- Lecture (1872-01-29), “The Gods,” Fairbury Hall, Fairbury, Illinois

Dave — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 19:10:53 +0000

A devout clergyman sought every opportunity to impress upon the mind of his son the fact, that God takes care of all his creatures; that the falling sparrow attracts his attention, and that his loving kindness is over all his works.
Happening, one day, to see a crane wading in quest of food, the good man pointed out to his son the perfect adaptation of the crane to get his living in that manner. “See,” said he, “how his legs are formed for wading! What a long slender bill he has! Observe how nicely he folds his feet when putting them in or drawing them out of the water! He does not cause the slightest ripple. He is thus enabled to approach the fish without giving them any notice of his arrival.”
“My son,” said he, “it is impossible to look at that bird without recognizing the design, as well as the goodness of God, in thus providing the means of subsistence.”
“Yes,” replied the boy, “I think I see the goodness of God, at least so far as the crane is concerned; but after all, father, don’t you think the arrangement a little tough on the fish?”

Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) American lawyer, freethinker, orator
Lecture (1872-01-29), “The Gods,” Fairbury Hall, Fairbury, Illinois
(Source)

First given on the 135th birthday of Thomas Paine. Collected in The Gods and Other Lectures (1876).

Billings, Josh -- Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1875-09 (1875 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 15:31:33 +0000

Thare may cum a time, when the Lion, and the Lam will lie down together, — i shall be az glad to see it az enny boddy, — but i am still betting on the Lion.

[There may come a time, when the Lion and the Lamb will like down together — I shall be as glad to see it as anybody — but I am still betting on the Lion.]

Josh Billings (1818-1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1875-09 (1875 ed.)
(Source)

Milne, A. A. -- House at Pooh Corner, ch. 4 “Tiggers Don’t Climb Trees” (1928)

Dave — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:49:49 +0000

Piglet still felt that to be underneath a Very Good Dropper would be a Mistake, and he was just going to hurry back for something which he had forgotten when the Jagular called out to them. “Help! Help!” it called.
“That’s what Jagular’s always do”, said Pooh, much interested. “They call ‘Help! Help!’ and then when you look up, they’ll drop on you.”

A. A. Milne (1882-1956) English poet and playwright [Alan Alexander Milne]
House at Pooh Corner, ch. 4 “Tiggers Don’t Climb Trees” (1928)
(Source)

Herbert, George -- Jacula Prudentum, or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. (compiler), # 337 (1640 ed.)

Dave — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:22:07 +0000

When the Foxe preacheth, beware your geese.

George Herbert (1593-1633) Welsh priest, orator, poet.
Jacula Prudentum, or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. (compiler), # 337 (1640 ed.)
(Source)

Fitzgerald, F. Scott -- Notebook E “Epigrams, Wisecracks and Jokes,” § 436 (1932-1940)

Dave — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 18:20:22 +0000

The kiss originated when the first male reptile licked the first female reptile, implying in a subtle, complimentary way that she was as succulent as the small reptile he had for dinner the night before.

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) American writer [Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald]
Notebook E “Epigrams, Wisecracks and Jokes,” § 436 (1932-1940)

Originally collected in Edmund Wilson, ed., The Crack-Up (1945), then in the unexpurgated Matthew Bruccoli, ed., Notebooks of F. Scott Fitzgerald (1978).

Shakespeare, William -- Pericles, Act 2, sc. 1, l. 28ff (2.1.28-29) [with George Wilkins]

Dave — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 16:46:58 +0000

THIRD FISHERMAN: Master, I marvel how the fishes live in the sea.
FIRST FISHERMAN: Why, as men do a-land: the great ones eat up the little ones.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet
Pericles, Act 2, sc. 1, l. 28ff (2.1.28-29) [with George Wilkins]
(Source)

Franklin, Benjamin -- (Spurious)

Dave — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 18:13:24 +0000

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
(Spurious)

Frequently attributed to Franklin, but not found in his writing (and the word "lunch" dates only back to the 1820s). The phrase is only found in sources dating back to the early 1990s, e.g.,

"Democracy is like two wolves and a lamb deciding on what they want for dinner." [Shelby Foote in Ken Burns, Civil War (1990)]
"Democracy has been described as four wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch." [Los Angeles Times (25 Nov 1990)]
"Democracy is not freedom. Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to eat for lunch. Freedom comes from the recognition of certain rights which may not be taken, not even by a 99% vote." [Marvin Simkin, Los Angeles Times (1992)]
"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner." [James Bovard, Lost Rights, "Conclusion" (1994)]

Galbraith, John Kenneth -- “The Predator State,” Mother Jones (May/Jun 2006)

Dave — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 21:21:07 +0000

In a predatory economy, the rules imagined by the law and economics crowd don’t apply. There’s no market discipline. Predators compete not by following the rules but by breaking them. They take the business-school view of law: Rules are not designed to guide behavior but laid down to define the limits of unpunished conduct. Once one gets close to the line, stepping over it is easy. A predatory economy is criminogenic: It fosters and rewards criminal behavior.

John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006) Canadian-American economist, diplomat, author
“The Predator State,” Mother Jones (May/Jun 2006)
(Source)

Jefferson, Thomas -- Letter (1787-01-16) to Edward Carrington

Dave — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 18:32:04 +0000

Experience declares that man is the only animal which devours its own kind; for I can apply no milder term to the governments of Europe, and to the general prey of the rich upon the poor.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) American political philosopher, polymath, statesman, US President (1801-09)
Letter (1787-01-16) to Edward Carrington
(Source)

Stross, Charles -- The Rhesus Chart (2014)

Dave — Wed, 31 May 2017 01:51:29 +0000

It’s a cat, singular. A solitary diurnal ambush hunter with good hearing and binocular vision and a predilection for biting the neck of its prey in half while disemboweling it with the scythe-like claws on its hind legs. Basically it’s a velociraptor with a fur coat and an outsize sense of entitlement.

Charles "Charlie" Stross (b. 1964) British writer
The Rhesus Chart (2014)
(Source)

Scalzi, John -- Lock In, ch. 6 (2014)

Dave — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 02:48:19 +0000

My father deals with millionaires and billionaires on a daily basis, the sort of people who have egos just this side (and sometimes way over the edge) of sociopathy. The sort of person who thinks he’s the apex predator wading through a universe of sheep.

John Scalzi (b. 1969) American writer
Lock In, ch. 6 (2014)
(Source)

Bacon, Francis -- Essays or Counsels Civil and Moral, No. 29 “Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates” (1612)

Dave — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 18:50:01 +0000

Nay, number (itself) in armies importeth not much, where the people is of weak courage; for (as Virgil saith) It never troubles a wolf how many the sheep be.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) English philosopher, scientist, author, statesman
Essays or Counsels Civil and Moral, No. 29 “Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates” (1612)
(Source)

The wolf reference is actually a common Latin proverb: "Non curat numerum lupus [The wolf doesn't care about the number]," or its longer form "Lupus non curat numerum ovium" [The wolf does not care about the number of sheep.].

Though Bacon explicitly notes the phrase in Virgil's Eclogues, the Latin saying is often attributed to Bacon.

Gaiman, Neil -- Neverwhere, ch. 6 (1996)

Dave — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 13:10:43 +0000

Then he smiled, like a cat who had just been entrusted with the keys to a home for wayward but plump canaries.

Neil Gaiman (b. 1960) British author, screenwriter, fabulist
Neverwhere, ch. 6 (1996)
(Source)

Billings, Josh -- Everybody’s Friend, Or; Josh Billing’s Encyclopedia and Proverbial Philosophy of Wit and Humor, ch. 134 “Affurisms: Slips of the Pen” (1874)

Dave — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 12:57:15 +0000

The lion and the lamb may, possibly, sumtime lay down in this world together for a fu minnits, but when the lion kums tew git up, the lamb will be missing.

[The lion and the lamb may, possibly, sometime lay down in this world together for a few minutes, but when the lion comes to get up, the lamb will be missing.]

Josh Billings (1818-1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Everybody’s Friend, Or; Josh Billing’s Encyclopedia and Proverbial Philosophy of Wit and Humor, ch. 134 “Affurisms: Slips of the Pen” (1874)
(Source)

A reference (using the more common phrasing) to Isaiah 11:6.

Aesop -- Fables [Aesopica], “The Wolf and the Lamb” (6th C BC) [tr. Jacobs (1894)]

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

Any excuse will serve a tyrant.

Aesop (620?-560? BC) Legendary Greek storyteller
Fables [Aesopica], “The Wolf and the Lamb” (6th C BC) [tr. Jacobs (1894)]
(Source)

Alternate translations:

"'Tis an Easie Matter to find a Staff to Beat a Dog." [tr. L'Estrange (1692)]
"A tyrant never wants a plea." [tr. James (1848)]
"The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny." [tr. Townsend (1887)]