Wikiquote talk:Quote of the day/Quote proposals

Short statement of what I look for in a Quote of the Day:

As I have been the primary selector of Quotes of the Day since late last year, I feel I should provide some indications of what I look for, and I hope future administrators will continue to look for, when choosing material for the Quote of the Day.

I generally prefer statements that I believe are, or which can in some way be, a positive inspiration to people, but that does not mean I desire to totally exclude statements that are critical or even derisive and clearly meant to mock, if they seem sufficiently significant or amusing, but I generally prefer to avoid them, and feel there are certainly extremes that should never be indulged on the Main Page.

Within the articles that are created I support a policy of non-censorship of what many or most might regard as profanity within any genuine quotation, but I strongly feel that any quotes of the day should always reflect a greater self restraint, and respect for human dignity. I certainly do not wish to scare anyone away or offend them with a "Main Page" declaration that many, or even most people would find offensive or insulting. I, or other sysops or users might eventually erase such proposals as inappropriate, and unlikely to ever be accepted.

Sometimes I will have several quotations in mind on a subject, or ranges of subjects, and will try to present them over several days to be subtly emphatic, interesting, or amusing in various ways that the quotes independently might not be, and I hope that some people at least will appreciate some of these cases.

I sometimes try to look ahead to certain days of the year to have something topical, but leave myself free to react to current events with what might be more appropriate quotations, specifically those of notable figures who pass away from our lives with the passage of time, and who have said such things as might be eternally significant.

There are good candidates that have been suggested, and many of these may eventually be used, but I don't consider it necessary to use them immediately, and hope that their exposure on the proposals page will be sufficient until they are chosen.

In the months ahead I hope there will be many more participants in the Wikiquote project, and many more administrators engaged in developing and presenting many ideas, protecting it, and increasing its integrity and popularity. I would like this to eventually become the first place many people go to when searching for quotations, and the last that they usually require. Yet, like any good internet site it should not be designed to be the last place anyone goes to when seeking information and ideas, but a place where they know that they can find valuable material and links to other worthwhile sites, and thus a worthy companion of the Wikipedia project. Encouraging greater levels of thought, reflection, and awareness of profound, amusing, or otherwise interesting assertions is one of the primary objectives that I feel we should emphasize as we build this sites resources. ~ Kalki 13:13, 9 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Removing a flood of quotes from someone…

I just removed the group of quotations which follows this paragraph from the Quote of the Day proposals page. Unless we want to be overwhelmed by a flood of some obscure Dip Drip's Quips, and the BS of someone's Sacred Chao, there should probably be a policy limiting the number of quotations on this page from any one person of any specific person or work, and an insistance that it be an already famous person or work. Who the hell is JDK, and to paraphrase an expression of certain perspectives, who the hell hasn't met God?

There are other rather pointless or tasteless quotes that I think should be removed, but I will constrain myself to these for now. - Van Helsing 09:56, 22 Jul 2004 (UTC)

• Absolved: Equal to a good Jewish lawyer. JDK before he met God.
• Abstain: A cuss word used by parents and Roman Catholic priests to point out what they themselves do all the time.JDK before he met God.
• Absurd: Said of what others get and we never do.JDK before he met God.
• Accessible: Said of the woman who sleeps with us after the second date. JDK before he met God.
• Accident: The kind of explanation we concoct when we are trying to tell our wife where we were until 3 AM in the morning. JDK before he met God.
• Acrobat: Said of the office worker who has two mistresses, five children, two unpaid for cars and makes $12 an hour.JDK before he met God.
• Adieu: "Good by" but said in French for use of the rich when they quarrel for good. JDK before he met God.
• Adjective:Said of the new suit we put on a noun.JDK before he met God.
• Administrator: Said of the $120,000 a year do nothing who allows ten $6 dollar-an hour employees to care for his business.JDK before he met God.
• Adolescence: It is to have pimples all over the face and to write poetry in the bathroom so that mom does not notice. JDK before he met God.
• Adult: A person committing adultery.JDK before he met God.
• Adultery: "Activities adults engage in." JDK before he met God.
• Besides: The word we use when we run out of arguments. JDK before he met God.
• Caress: Verb reserved for the last row of the motion picture theater. JDK before he met God.
• Delicious woman: Said of the other guy´s wife when she is near us.JDK before he met God.
• Difficult: It is said of the woman who goes to bed with us after our third date. JDK before he met God.
• Easy: Said of the woman who sleeps with us after our first date.JDK before he met God.
• Event:The day the baby grows his first teeth. JDK before he met God.
• Intercourse: Ryhtmic yoga-like contorsions for the young. I propose that, like in karate, there should be a black belt, a blue belt and a red belt, this last one as a signal for foul weather. JDK before he met God.
• Overcoat: The kind of heavy stuff foreigners bring in their bags and put into the closet the minute they arrive in Miami. JDK before he met God.
• Rich man: A poor guy with money. JDK before he met God.
• To counsel:To tell the other guy what we cannot face to do ourselves. JDK before he met God.
• To train: It is to teach others what we cannot do ourselves. JDK before he met God.

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Statements added by Odiaka Emmanuel

Odiaka Emmanuel is my name. I hail from Nigeria. And by way of appreciation to the unquantifiable job you people are doing, I've decided to make these contributions by way of quote(s):

I am not afraid to work and put in my best to duty, however I am afraid of exploitation. ~ Odiaka Emmanuel

In matters of family and loyalty, my mum remains the undisputed champion while my wife is the reigning champion. ~ Odiaka Emmanuel

Obtaining a university degree seems no more important in this part of the world; what is important now is what we do after graduation. ~ Odiaka Emmanuel

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May I respectfully submit that I think you are doing a fairly lousy job of selecting QOTD's. I have been a contributor to Wikiquote since it's inception, and am a long time contributor to Wikipedia (See user:pacian.) I find that you are neglecting a very important facet in assembling a QOTD archive: DIVERSITY! I liked things much better when the QOTD was alterable via the front page by anyone. Then we had interesting and culturally signifigant quotes from a diverse selection of people: Wil Wheaton (actor,) Salt 'N' Pepa (Rappers,) and so forth in addition to philosophers, scholars and the like. I see QOTD's on the suggested page that have been neglected for over a month.

I propose that it really shouldn't be your job (or anyone's) to decide which quote is "good enough" to go on the QOTD. I believe, instead, that suggested quotes should be submitted and dated and used in the order of which they were submitted, and ONLY be disqualified if they are extremely offensive or just simply not noteworthy in *ANY* respect (IE: something trivial like "Cheese is delicious" - John Q. Public.)

I'm sure this will fall on deaf ears, but 'tis my opinion. 208.54.95.131 05:56, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

May I 'propose' something of my own?

'Quote' is a verb: I quote Shakespeare.

The noun is 'quotation'.

"Quote of the day" makes such an excellent concept smack of animated GIFs and ambient midi music.

I don't come round here often, so I wasn't sure where to put this. I apologise if it frays your delicate rubrics. 82.32.83.19 16:10, 4 Jun 2005 (UTC)

It has given me an chance to indulge myself somewhat in a slight attempt at humor...

I think most of us are well aware of this issue, but to quote a dictionary site, which includes its use as a noun as well as a verb: "People have been using the noun quote as a truncation of quotation for over 100 years, and its use in less formal contexts is widespread today." I find it somewhat silly actually to insist on forbidding its recognition as a completely legitimate noun. There are so many words in the english language that have long had both noun and verb meanings. Some people might like to nail it, as if with a nail, permanently to a wall of mandates, and mandate a will to wall out all variation. I personally would prefer to hammer the presumption with a hammer of wit until it no longer raise its ugly head in any attempt to head a drive to drive away any wave of innovation of those who would wave their hand in a friendly manner and dismiss such objections. They do not object to the flow of change, and flow with an object of welcoming much of what they must continually encounter, rather than continually insisting on encountering only what they might wish to give their fullest welcome.

This is just a bit of spur of the moment wit, spurred on by a bit of weariness of too great an insistence on the formal past use of the form, which some would allow to form a permanent obstacle to any change. I would simply like to change their minds somewhat. Have fun! ~ Kalki 17:52, 4 Jun 2005 (UTC)

To the learned anonymous user who took exception to our use of "quote" as a noun: fear not. Our rubrics are not nearly as delicate as you might suspect, and are not frayed by criticism. In fact, critical discussion of principles and policies are necessary for a healthy wiki. But I would advise you to update your knowledge of the English language. As Kalki pointed out, "quote" is quite commonly used as a noun in modern English. Please note that both Merriam-Webster Online and Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary accept "quote" as a variation on "quotation" (although Cambridge does consider it an informal use). As I'm sure you know, many such vocabulary changes are inevitable in a dynamic society, and the English language, in my humble opinion, is strengthened by its ability to accomodate and even embrace these linguistic drifts.

As for the comparison to animated GIFs and ambient MIDI music, I'm afraid your conceit eludes my discernment. — Jeff Q (talk) 19:58, 4 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary accept "quote" as a variation on "quotation" (although Cambridge does consider it an informal use)

-Should such an already learned community of quotationistas accept advice from a Learner's Dictionary?

More to the point, whereas the so-called verb to quote may well be acceptable in conveying meaning (might I note at this point your acknowledgement of an "informal" connotation surrounding that particular contraction), it is most certainly inferior to the purpose-built noun. While I take no quarrel to the name Wikiquote (which can be interpreted as denoting the action implied in quoting, and as a proper noun I have no business repudiating anyway), the formality of this esteemed collection of phrases aches to be graced with the grammar it deserves.

To contract my own rather lengthy reply, while a quotation may be a thing of beauty made no less brilliant by any monosyllabic moniker, the imposition of a word of action into a noun's descriptive role amounts to no less than verbal abuse of the severest degree. 82.32.83.19 17:25, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)

In the immortal words of Bill Watterson's Calvin: Verbing weirds language.

The word "quote" was a noun long before it morphed into a verb. It meant citation, and referred to a number (from Latin quotus, "of what number or quantity") or other demarcation in the source text. When it was first verbed it meant to cite, i.e, to give the number of. Hence, as I always say, "if it ain't cited, it ain't a quote."_{(You can quote me on that.)} It is only when it was renouned that it lost the connection with the source and came to refer to the words repeated or, more execrably, attributed without citation. ~ Ningauble (talk) 15:10, 17 September 2012 (UTC)