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Topic: Edmund Burke & Jack London

Today we remember two men who share this birthday: Edmund Burke, the Irish-born statesman and philosopher who was born on this date in 1729, and Jack London, the American writer who was born on this date in 1876. These days, Edmund Burke is remembered for something whose source has never been definitively located: the statement "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." We're not going to tell you Jack London actually wrote those words (he didn't); but we are going to commemorate the shared birthdays by passing along a few other lines and challenging you to decide which of the two men is credited with each.

"Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well." Those words were supposedly written by Jack London but their source has not been confirmed.

What about this? "The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." Those words came from Jack London, a man whose travels and adventures colored his writing.

Finally, there's this counsel: "We must all obey the great law of change. It is the most powerful law of nature." You might guess that came from the author of Call of the Wild but in fact those words came from the urban—but thoughtful—Edmund Burke.

Questions or comments? Write us at wftw@aol.com Production and research support for Word for the Wise comes from Merriam-Webster, publisher of language reference books and Web sites including Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition.