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TVDad Jim
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:46 am
Post subject: Twain quote |
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I see this quote frequently attributed to Mark Twain, but I've never
seen a source cited:
"...with the calm confidence of a Christian holding four aces."
I've also seen the quote as Twain's definition of "an ethical man," but
again, no cite.
Help? Thank you.
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JoeTaxpayer
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 2:18 pm
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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TVDad Jim wrote:
| Quote: | I see this quote frequently attributed to Mark Twain, but I've never
seen a source cited:
"...with the calm confidence of a Christian holding four aces."
I've also seen the quote as Twain's definition of "an ethical man," but
again, no cite.
Help? Thank you.
|
I googled "Christian holding four aces" and got 208 hits, most
mentioning Twain. It's often tough to find a cite for a verbal/oral quote. |
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Weatherlawyer
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 3:18 pm
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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JoeTaxpayer wrote:
| Quote: | TVDad Jim wrote:
"...with the calm confidence of a Christian holding four aces."
I've also seen the quote as Twain's definition of "an ethical man,"
I googled "Christian holding four aces" and got 208 hits, most
mentioning Twain. It's often tough to find a cite for a verbal/oral quote.
|
Someone had to come up with the saying originally. If it wasn't Twain
himself, it may well have been someone he met in his working life.
If you ever read Elegy on a Jug:
http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Poetry/Elegy.htm
You may remember a comment about the working lives of some whom, had
they been born elsewhere or to other circumstances, may have been
remembered more widely for their abilities.
And got a storied urn instead.
I often wonder that had Shakespeare not caught the crest of the wave,
would he be so highly thought of these days? I somehow doubt it.
It's the kind of acerbic comment you might well hear around a campfire
at night when a raconteur joins the mesh of people telling anecdotes.
And particularly so among the people of Samuel Clements' early days.
Where a Christian had the unalienable right to bear arms and use them
with impunity on any slave or colourful person of a different
persuasion the world over.
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Robert Lieblich
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:17 pm
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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Weatherlawyer wrote:
[ ... ]
Whom?
[ ... ] |
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Gary Eickmeier
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:03 pm
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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Robert Lieblich wrote:
Sticks out like a sore thumb - did Weatherlawyer post this as an example
of bad grammar, or what?
Gary Eickmeier |
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Gary Foiles
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 12:29 am
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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"TVDad Jim" <jim@tvdads.com> wrote in
news:1127177173.823896.98650@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:
| Quote: | I see this quote frequently attributed to Mark Twain, but I've never
seen a source cited:
"...with the calm confidence of a Christian holding four aces."
I've also seen the quote as Twain's definition of "an ethical man,"
but again, no cite.
Help? Thank you.
|
{Discussing the history of the state of Nevada ...]
It is mighty regular about not raining, though, William. It will start
in here in November and rain about four, and sometimes as much as seven
days on a stretch; after that, you may loan out your umbrella for twelve
months, with the serene confidence which a Christian feels in four aces.
Territorial Enterprise, May 1 - May 15, 1864
WASHOE: "INFORMATION WANTED"
http://www.twainquotes.com/18640515t.html |
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Weatherlawyer
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 12:15 pm
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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Gary Eickmeier wrote:
| Quote: | Robert Lieblich wrote:
Weatherlawyer wrote:
You may remember a comment about the working lives of some whom, had they...
Whom?
Sticks out like a sore thumb - did Weatherlawyer post this as an example
of bad grammar, or what?
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...some, whom, had... ? |
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Robert Lieblich
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 5:49 pm
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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Weatherlawyer wrote:
| Quote: |
Gary Eickmeier wrote:
Robert Lieblich wrote:
Weatherlawyer wrote:
You may remember a comment about the working lives of some whom, had they...
Whom?
Sticks out like a sore thumb - did Weatherlawyer post this as an example
of bad grammar, or what?
..some, whom, had... ?
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Here's your original sentence, cut down by Gary until the point was
lost:
"You may remember a comment about the working lives of some whom, had
they been born elsewhere or to other circumstances, may have been
remembered more widely for their abilities."
"Whom" is the subject of the dependent clause "whom ... may have been
remembered," and as the subject it needs to be in the subjective, or
nominative, sense: "who ... may have been remembered." The "whom" of
which you are guilty is a hypercorrection.
Not to worry. It's a common blunder. But not yet common enough to
have hardened into idiom.
And while we're at it, "may" in that sentence should have been
"might."
--
Bob Lieblich
With apologies to Aaron Dinkin |
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Gary Eickmeier
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:49 pm
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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Robert Lieblich wrote:
| Quote: | Weatherlawyer wrote:
Gary Eickmeier wrote:
Robert Lieblich wrote:
Weatherlawyer wrote:
You may remember a comment about the working lives of some whom, had they...
Whom?
Sticks out like a sore thumb - did Weatherlawyer post this as an example
of bad grammar, or what?
..some, whom, had... ?
Here's your original sentence, cut down by Gary until the point was
lost:
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Robert, it was cut down by you, not me. I didn't re-post any part of the
sentence.
Gary Eickmeier |
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Robert Lieblich
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 2:20 am
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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Gary Eickmeier wrote:
| Quote: |
Robert Lieblich wrote:
Weatherlawyer wrote:
Gary Eickmeier wrote:
Robert Lieblich wrote:
Weatherlawyer wrote:
You may remember a comment about the working lives of some whom, had they...
Whom?
Sticks out like a sore thumb - did Weatherlawyer post this as an example
of bad grammar, or what?
..some, whom, had... ?
Here's your original sentence, cut down by Gary until the point was
lost:
Robert, it was cut down by you, not me. I didn't re-post any part of the
sentence.
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So much for trusting memory. I clearly recall deciding not to snip
any of the sentence, because I wanted my point to be evident on
reading only my post. What I didn't remember is that I screwed up and
snipped most of it anyway. I also don't remember what on earth led me
to do that when my intention was to the contrary. So you're right,
Gary, and I'm wrong. And please don't ever do that again.
Now if I could only remember my own name. So much for trusting
memory.
--
Anonymous |
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No Spam
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 7:04 am
Post subject: Re: Twain quote |
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Any clever quotation in the English language
may be attributed to Twain, Shaw, Churchill,
Rogers, or Berra. Absolute proof of evidence
disproving the attribution may be ignored. |
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