"Somebody ought to write a book and call it Saints Inveterate."
—Francis Lynde, The Quickening, 1906, p. 389.

In some unseen gorge a stream gurgled; a velvety green butterfly with black and yellow markings danced over white flowers; deep among the blue shadows of the trees a branch broke and leaves dropped heavily into leaves.

—Hermann Hesse, The Glass Bead Game

Pairs of great woodpeckers larger than crows, with flashing white bills and crimson crests afire in the sun, crossed the river in deep bounding flight, and hurtling flocks of small long- tailed parrots, bright green as new leaves in the morning light. The wild things were shining with spring colors and new sap and finally I was, too. I would sink my teeth into this morning land like a fresh peach.

—Peter Matthiessen, Shadow Country, 2008.

Which cuisine is funnier: Swedish or Jewish?

Clue:  This is according to comedian Steve Allen

Answer:  Jewish.  “Jewish foods generally are funnier than their Swedish or French equivalents.”  (The answer is in black text on the black background.  Highlight it to view.)

Citation:  Steve Allen and Jane Wollman, How to Be Funny: Discovering the Comic You (1987), p. 50

 

 

Imagine a retail store's Open/Closed sign.  Now imagine that it's printed on only one side.  With just two words and a detachable apostrophe, how can the sign indicate that the store is open or closed for business?

For our answer, click here.

 

"[William Blake's] vision of the infinite in everything is common to East and West; what is distinctly Western, out of the Jews, is the voice of honest indignation against every institution which would deny or demean the infinity within each human soul.  The release of our full human potential—to let the light of Prometheus shine everywhere—is the distinctly Western mystic tradition and does not appear in Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, or any Eastern religion."
—Robert Anton Wilson, Prometheus Rising

Which word is funnier: house or condo?

Clue:  This is according to the book Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain

Answer:  Condo, as it is “more specific”  (The answer is in black text on the black background.  Highlight it to view.)

Citation:  Christopher Hart, Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain (1998), p. 107

"Someone should write a book on Kant's ethics good enough that it will be required reading."
—Christine M. Korsgaard, Creating the Kingdom of Ends, 1996, p. 287.

You've heard the cliché, "There's no 'I' in 'team.'"  Similarly, there's no "us" in "narcissism."

Speaking of contractions, there's no "big O" in "nymphomania."