Who said “That is a very good question. I don't know the answer. But can you tell me the name of a…”?

Verified

Arthur Miller. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceHis reply to a shoe manufacturer who had asked why Miller's job should be subsidized when his was not, as recounted at a London press conference. The Guardian (January 25, 1990)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

Authors A–Z
“That is a very good question. I don't know the answer. But can you tell me the name of a classical Greek shoemaker?”
— Arthur Miller
VerifiedHis reply to a shoe manufacturer who had asked why Miller's job should be subsidized when his was not, as recounted at a London press conference. The Guardian (January 25, 1990) · evidenceLiterature

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: His reply to a shoe manufacturer who had asked why Miller's job should be subsidized when his was not, as recounted at a London press conference. The Guardian (January 25, 1990).

APA

Miller, A. (n.d.). That is a very good question. I don't know the answer. But can you tell me the name of a classical Greek shoemaker? [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/26978-that-is-a-very-good-question-i-dont/

MLA

Miller, Arthur. “That is a very good question. I don't know the answer. But can you tell me the name of a classical Greek shoemaker?” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/26978-that-is-a-very-good-question-i-dont/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Miller, Arthur. “That is a very good question. I don't know the answer. But can you tell me the name of a classical Greek shoemaker?” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/26978-that-is-a-very-good-question-i-dont/.

Related quotes

More quotes by Arthur Miller

“I'm the end of the line; absurd and appalling as it may seem, serious New York theater has died in my lifetime.”
VerifiedThe Times (January 11, 1989) · evidenceDetails & citeBroadway
“He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid.”
VerifiedDeath of a Salesman (1949) · evidenceDetails & citeFailure
“If I have any justification for having lived it's simply, I'm nothing but faults, failures and so on, but I have tried to make a good pair of shoes. There's some value in that.”
VerifiedInterview in Marxism Today (January 1988) · evidenceDetails & citeFallibility
All 15 Arthur Miller quotes →