When he took the Ph.D. exams they [the professors reviewing him] were all worried about who would examine him because they were afraid that he would show them up.

Nibley kept notes for his dissertation (and everything else) on 3x5 cards.The cards were packed in shoe boxes that Nibley took him everywere. One day when he was in the grocery store, his shopping cart tipped over. All his note cards spewed out and were sprawled out all over the floor. He has been wrestling with his dissertation topic, trying to get something going with it. When he saw all of his note cards lying there on the floor he said, "I didn't like that subject very much anyway," and left the cards on the floor of the store.