Word Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Word Quotes

"How strangely do we diminish a thing as soon as we try to express it in words."

"How strangely do we diminish a thing as soon as we try to express it in words."

Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgian Dramatist

70

"Word - that invisible dagger."

"Word - that invisible dagger."

Emile M. Cioran, Romanian Philosopher

53

"We die in proportion to the words we fling around us."

"We die in proportion to the words we fling around us."

Emile M. Cioran, Romanian Philosopher

50

"I'd like to get the word out there, the word has to be spread."

"I'd like to get the word out there, the word has to be spread."

Chita Rivera, Puerto Rican Actress

50

"Boy, those French: they have a different word for everything!"

"Boy, those French: they have a different word for everything!"

Steve Martin, American Comedian

41

"You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone."

"You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone."

Al Capone, American Criminal

39

"But the word of the Gospel is not as the word of an earthly prince."

"But the word of the Gospel is not as the word of an earthly prince."

John Jewel, English Clergyman

37

"I don't understand the word hunk."

"I don't understand the word hunk."

Goran Visnjic, Croatian Actor

36

"Your word is your bond."

"Your word is your bond."

Melvyn Douglas, American Actor

30

"It's only words... unless they're true."

"It's only words... unless they're true."

David Mamet, American Dramatist

29

"If a word in the dictionary were misspelled, how would we know?"

"If a word in the dictionary were misspelled, how would we know?"

Steven Wright, American Comedian

29

"I grew up in a tough neighborhood and we used to say you can get further with a kind word and a gun than just a kind word."

"I grew up in a tough neighborhood and we used to say you can get further with a kind word and a gun than just a kind word."

David Mamet, American Dramatist

28

"Bob Dylan has a way with words that simply blows me away. When he forgets his lyrics he just makes up new ones on the spot, that is what I called talented!"

"Bob Dylan has a way with words that simply blows me away. When he forgets his lyrics he just makes up new ones on the spot, that is what I called talented!"

Gavin Rossdale, British Musician

28

"The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping up and down."

"The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping up and down."

Rita Rudner, American Comedian

27

"Technique is communication: the two words are synonymous in conductors."

"Technique is communication: the two words are synonymous in conductors."

Leonard Bernstein, American Composer

25

"I'm gonna fix that last joke by taking out all the words and adding new ones."

"I'm gonna fix that last joke by taking out all the words and adding new ones."

Mitch Hedberg, American Comedian

24

"That was the problem with the 'celibate' word because they don't consider for a moment that you'd rather not be, but you just are. I was never a sexual person."

"That was the problem with the 'celibate' word because they don't consider for a moment that you'd rather not be, but you just are. I was never a sexual person."

Steven Morrissey, English Musician

23

"In the words of Michael Jackson: I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"In the words of Michael Jackson: I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Jason Mraz, American Musician

23

"When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain."

"When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

23

"I try to gauge whether a girl likes me before I make a move. I would write a page-long note to a girl.If she wrote a whole page back, I knew she liked me, too. If she wrote back like two words, then I figured I'd move on."

"I try to gauge whether a girl likes me before I make a move. I would write a page-long note to a girl.If she wrote a whole page back, I knew she liked me, too. If she wrote back like two words, then I figured I'd move on."

Devon Werkheiser, American Actor

23

"'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.'"

"'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.'"

Lewis Carroll, English Author

21

"I can't tell you what I had for breakfast, but I can sing every single word of rock and roll."

"I can't tell you what I had for breakfast, but I can sing every single word of rock and roll."

Patty Duke, American Actress

21

"If words are not things, or maps are not the actual territory, then, obviously, the only possible link between the objective world and the linguistic world is found in structure, and structure alone."

"If words are not things, or maps are not the actual territory, then, obviously, the only possible link between the objective world and the linguistic world is found in structure, and structure alone."

Alfred Korzybski, Polish Scientist

Word, Words, World

21

"Carve every word before you let it fall."

"Carve every word before you let it fall."

Oliver Wendell Holmes, American Writer

Word, Oliver Holmes, Jr.

21

"No thesaurus can give you those words, no rhyming dictionary. They must happen out of you."

"No thesaurus can give you those words, no rhyming dictionary. They must happen out of you."

Dorothy Fields, American Musician

21

"What's another word for Thesaurus?"

"What's another word for Thesaurus?"

Steven Wright, American Comedian

21

"I learned that you don't have to be all over the place, that you can be subtle and you can say what you say. The words that you put together can be just as hilarious as falling all over the place or doing something."

"I learned that you don't have to be all over the place, that you can be subtle and you can say what you say. The words that you put together can be just as hilarious as falling all over the place or doing something."

Mike Epps, American Comedian

20

"Cancelled isn't a bad word because it happens everyday."

"Cancelled isn't a bad word because it happens everyday."

Wayne Brady, American Comedian

20

"Everything that Traffic ever did, I'd give Steve a complete lyric, titled, written out with the verse, the bridge, the shape and rhyme and then Steve had to figure out how the meter of the words would fit musically."

"Everything that Traffic ever did, I'd give Steve a complete lyric, titled, written out with the verse, the bridge, the shape and rhyme and then Steve had to figure out how the meter of the words would fit musically."

Jim Capaldi, British Musician

20

"Word of mouth is the best medium of all."

"Word of mouth is the best medium of all."

William Bernbach, American Businessman

20

"Hence it happens that one takes words for concepts, and concepts for the things themselves."

"Hence it happens that one takes words for concepts, and concepts for the things themselves."

Johann G. Hamann, German Philosopher

20

"Use not big words for naught."

"Use not big words for naught."

L. M. Heroux, American Author

19

"Words build bridges into unexplored regions."

"Words build bridges into unexplored regions."

Adolf Hitler, German Criminal

19

"For Closer, we've had five weeks. You go into every single word because it's very, very concentrated dialogue."

"For Closer, we've had five weeks. You go into every single word because it's very, very concentrated dialogue."

Anna Friel, English Actress

18

"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels."

"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels."

John Calvin, French Theologian

18

"Using the word weird implies that there is a norm."

"Using the word weird implies that there is a norm."

Robyn Hitchcock, English Musician

18

"It's an extraordinary thing about Mozart is that you never tire of him... he never bores me, and he doesn't... not only bore me, that's too strong a word."

"It's an extraordinary thing about Mozart is that you never tire of him... he never bores me, and he doesn't... not only bore me, that's too strong a word."

Peter Shaffer, English Playwright

18

"Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is 'elephant'."

"Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is 'elephant'."

Charlie Chaplin, English Actor

18

"Why does everyone have to pretend to be stupid and not know long words?"

"Why does everyone have to pretend to be stupid and not know long words?"

Martin Freeman, English Actor

18

"Yes and, you know, I can't use the nice words anymore because I used to chicken out by using them. I used to call myself plus size, used to call myself chubby. I used to call myself overweight."

"Yes and, you know, I can't use the nice words anymore because I used to chicken out by using them. I used to call myself plus size, used to call myself chubby. I used to call myself overweight."

Star Jones, American Entertainer

18

"Words are just words."

"Words are just words."

Luther Campbell, American Musician

17

"I say there're no depressed words just depressed minds."

"I say there're no depressed words just depressed minds."

Bob Dylan, American Musician

17

"'Programming' is a four-letter word."

"'Programming' is a four-letter word."

Craig Bruce, American Radio Host

17

"What makes me furious, not just because we're in an interview, but I don't like when writers take your words and put them somewhere else, in the wrong context in their own article about you."

"What makes me furious, not just because we're in an interview, but I don't like when writers take your words and put them somewhere else, in the wrong context in their own article about you."

Erykah Badu, American Musician

Word, Words, Writers, Wrong

16

"The paper burns, but the words fly away."

"The paper burns, but the words fly away."

Ben Joseph Akiba, American Clergyman

16

"In one word, this ideal is that you are divine."

"In one word, this ideal is that you are divine."

Swami Vivekananda, Indian Clergyman

16

"Words are all we have."

"Words are all we have."

Samuel Beckett, Irish Playwright

16

"If only I was as eloquent as Demosthenes, I would have to do no more than repeat a single word three times."

"If only I was as eloquent as Demosthenes, I would have to do no more than repeat a single word three times."

Johann G. Hamann, German Philosopher

16

"Jesus is just a word I use to swear with."

"Jesus is just a word I use to swear with."

Richard Harris, Irish Actor

16

"Maybe the words that I say is just another way to pray."

"Maybe the words that I say is just another way to pray."

Curtis Mayfield, American Musician

16

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