Carol Burnett has said: “Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.”
In the words of Lily Tomlin, “Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.”
For a change of pace, I thought you might like to read some quotes about grammar, language, writing, and the English language. Some are thought provoking, others instructional, yet others humorous.
About Words –
We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them. – Abigail Adams
He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met. – Abraham Lincoln
A man thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things. – Herman Melville
When ideas fail, words come in very handy. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Words have a longer life than deeds. – Pindar
Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing. – Robert Benchley
About Writing –
The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it. – Benjamin Disraeli
I have made this [letter] longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter. – Blaise Pascal
Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say ‘infinitely’ when you mean ‘very’; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. – C.S. Lewis
An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations. – Charles de Montesquieu
Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it’s just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it. – David Sedaris (interview in Louisville Courier-Journal, June 5, 2005)
A classic is classic not because it confirms to certain structural rules, or fits certain definitions (of which its author had quite probably never heard). It is classic because of a certain eternal and irrepressible freshness. – Edith Wharton
I’m trying to locate a quote I only partly recall. I think it was Thurber, and it highlighted the many uses of the word “that.” It included a word string along the lines of: “I think that that that that makes us nervous …”
It sounds familiar, but I couldn’t find it.
And I grew up thinking that ‘grammar’ was what we called my mom’s Mom. Goes to show?
Ain’t that the truth! And she was married to ‘grampar.’
Thanks Arlene, great ones! I love the one about nostalgia. By the way, what is it about not ending sentences with prepositions? We are taught to ask “where are you from”… Is it bad taste? bad style? How else can we say it if we don’t want to use “jackass”???????
It is fine to end a sentence with a preposition in most cases. You want to avoid this one though: “Where are you at??” LOL
I think Mark Twain is credited with saying..” the difference between the right word and the almost-right word is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” K.P.
🙂
The Goethe quote in particular reminded me of the old adage, attributed to Abe Lincoln, Mark Twain and many others:
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Thank you, Arlene, for your great website!
Wilfrid – Thanks for the kind words! I love that quote!!!
I like Goethe’s words, as well, but will pass Schlossberg’s on to my students: “The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.” Thank you, Arlene!
I like Goethe’s words, as well, but will pass Schlossberg’s on to my students: “The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.” Thank you, Arlene.
You are very welcome!
Thanks, Arlene, for these interesting quotes. I like reading them on a rainy Saturday. I particularly like the Goethe quote — When ideas fail, words come in very handy. Makes you think.
You’re welcome, Linda Jay!