"An American cannot converse, but he can discuss, and his talk falls into a dissertation. He speaks to you as if he was addressing a meeting; and if he should chance to become warm in the discussion, he will say "Gentlemen" to the person with whom he is conversing."

American, Chance, Meeting, Talk

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"An American cannot converse, but he can discuss, and his talk falls into a dissertation. He speaks to you as if he was addressing a meeting; and if he should chance to become warm in the discussion, he will say "Gentlemen" to the person with whom he is conversing."

Exlpore more American quotes

"Canada is the essence of not being. Not English, not American, it is the mathematic of not being. And a subtle flavour - we're more like celery as a flavour."

Mike Myers, Canadian Comedian

American, Being, Canada, English

"America makes prodigious mistakes, America has colossal faults, but one thing cannot be denied: America is always on the move. She may be going to Hell, of course, but at least she isn't standing still."

e. e. cummings, American Poet

American, America, Faults, Hell, May

"I was on the state board of directors of the American Civil Liberties Union."

Betty Hill, American Celebrity

American, Civil liberties, State

"All of the books in the world contain no more information than is broadcast as video in a single large American city in a single year. Not all bits have equal value."

Carl Sagan, American Scientist

American, Books, Information, Value

"The standardized American is largely a myth created not least by Americans themselves."

Irwin Edman, American Philosopher

American, Americans, Myth

"I like contemporary American literature and I like biographies and I like jazz and I like baseball and I like writers who write about the human condition and sci-fi is just something that I happened into."

Jonathan Frakes, American Actor

American, Baseball, Jazz, Literature

"I'm a misplaced American, but don't know where I was misplaced."

Ruby Wax, American Comedian

American,

"Dick Moss, my agent. Dick became my agent in 1979 when I signed my contract with the Houston Astros."

Nolan Ryan, American Athlete

American, Houston

"He is not someone who went off to play in Europe and only a few Americans follow. He has the potential to be on magazine covers and more newspaper coverage."

Lamar Hunt, American Entertainer

American, Americans, Europe, Play, Potential

"The American order reveals a method that was largely the outcome of material necessity, as exemplified by the Colonial style and the grid."

Stephen Gardiner, British Architect

American, Necessity, Order, Style

Explore more quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville

"Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude."

Equality

"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults."

Greatness

"The French want no-one to be their superior. The English want inferiors. The Frenchman constantly raises his eyes above him with anxiety. The Englishman lowers his beneath him with satisfaction."

Anxiety

"Grant me thirty years of equal division of inheritances and a free press, and I will provide you with a republic."

Press

"Society was cut in two: those who had nothing united in common envy, those who had anything united in common terror."

Society

"What is most important for democracy is not that great fortunes should not exist, but that great fortunes should not remain in the same hands. In that way there are rich men, but they do not form a class."

Men

"The Indian knew how to live without wants, to suffer without complaint, and to die singing."

Complaint

"Patriotism is in itself a kind of religion: it does not reason, but it acts from the impulse of faith and sentiment."

Patriotism

"Human understanding more easily invents new things than new words."

Language

"I had rather mistrust my own capacity than God's justice."

Faith