Quotes by British Authors | Beyond Motive 67/399

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Quotes by British Authors

"Good marriages are made in heaven. Or some such place."

"Good marriages are made in heaven. Or some such place."

Robert Bolt, British Playwright

42

"When discharging industrial gas into the indoor environment in high altitude astronomy, we never wore breathing respirators that fed us oxygenated air at above the legally required 19.5% oxygen levels."

"When discharging industrial gas into the indoor environment in high altitude astronomy, we never wore breathing respirators that fed us oxygenated air at above the legally required 19.5% oxygen levels."

Steven Magee, British Author

Safety, Health, Work, Environment

42

"Female television viewers paid attention to Catherine Gale."

"Female television viewers paid attention to Catherine Gale."

Honor Blackman, British Actress

Attention, Television

42

"I am interested in mathematics only as a creative art."

"I am interested in mathematics only as a creative art."

G. H. Hardy, British Mathematician

Art, Mathematics

42

"I suppose my father was more influential in my starting to play the guitar."

"I suppose my father was more influential in my starting to play the guitar."

Andy Partridge, British Musician

Father, Guitar, Play

42

"Men find it difficult because I've got so much energy and hardly sleep at night, only four or five hours. I wake up in the early hours and potter around."

"Men find it difficult because I've got so much energy and hardly sleep at night, only four or five hours. I wake up in the early hours and potter around."

Susannah York, British Actress

Men, Energy, Night, Sleep

42

"So, I kind of rather was hoping that people thought it would have a nice mixture of different topics and it also takes in the fact that I've had two children recently."

"So, I kind of rather was hoping that people thought it would have a nice mixture of different topics and it also takes in the fact that I've had two children recently."

Jo Brand, British Comedian

Thought, People, Children, Fact

42

"All through my school life I was appalled by the fact that masters and senior boys were allowed quite literally to wound other boys, and sometimes very severely."

"All through my school life I was appalled by the fact that masters and senior boys were allowed quite literally to wound other boys, and sometimes very severely."

Roald Dahl, British Novelist

Life, Boys, Fact, School

42

"How many of us have been attracted to reason; first learned to think, to draw conclusions, to extract a moral from the follies of life, by some dazzling aphorism."

"How many of us have been attracted to reason; first learned to think, to draw conclusions, to extract a moral from the follies of life, by some dazzling aphorism."

Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton, British Novelist

Life, First, Reason

42

"I don't make any money."

"I don't make any money."

Bill Wyman, British Musician

42

"George has only got to ring me. His imagination is so wonderful, I'd do any character he might create."

"George has only got to ring me. His imagination is so wonderful, I'd do any character he might create."

Peter Mayhew, British Actor

Imagination, Character

42

"Smart people that like good health spend several hours outdoors daily in the shade of trees."

"Smart people that like good health spend several hours outdoors daily in the shade of trees."

Steven Magee, British Author

Vitality, Health, Lifestyle, Nature, Habit

42

"Pain and death are part of life. To reject them is to reject life itself."

"Pain and death are part of life. To reject them is to reject life itself."

Henry Ellis, British Psychologist

Death, Life, Pain

42

"Do not wait; the time will never be "just right." Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."

"Do not wait; the time will never be "just right." Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."

George Herbert, British Poet

Time, Work, May, Right

42

"You cannot carry on forever squeezing the productive bit of the economy in order to fund an unprecedented engorgement of the unproductive bit."

"You cannot carry on forever squeezing the productive bit of the economy in order to fund an unprecedented engorgement of the unproductive bit."

Daniel Hannan, British Politician

42

"People who prefer to believe the worst of others will breed war and religious persecutions while the world lasts."

"People who prefer to believe the worst of others will breed war and religious persecutions while the world lasts."

Dorothy L. Sayers, British Author

Intolerance, Belief, Conflict, Prejudice, War

42

"If men and women are to understand each other, to enter into each other's nature with mutual sympathy, and to become capable of genuine comradeship, the foundation must be laid in youth."

"If men and women are to understand each other, to enter into each other's nature with mutual sympathy, and to become capable of genuine comradeship, the foundation must be laid in youth."

Henry Ellis, British Psychologist

Nature, Men, Women, Sympathy

42

"In an age robbed of religious symbols, going to the shops replaces going to the church. We have a free choice, but at a price. We can win experience, but never achieve innocence. Marx knew that the epic activities of the modern world involve not lance and sword but dry goods."

"In an age robbed of religious symbols, going to the shops replaces going to the church. We have a free choice, but at a price. We can win experience, but never achieve innocence. Marx knew that the epic activities of the modern world involve not lance and sword but dry goods."

Stephen Bayley, British Critic

Age, Experience, Church, Choice

42

"A solitary laugh is often a laugh of superiority."

"A solitary laugh is often a laugh of superiority."

Graham Greene, British Playwright

42

"You have indeed done much since the new century began to give shape and substance to the growing, the insistent desire that war may be banished from the earth."

"You have indeed done much since the new century began to give shape and substance to the growing, the insistent desire that war may be banished from the earth."

Henry Campbell Bannerman, British Prime Minister

War, Desire, Earth, May

42

"It was just two energies between two people, you can't prescribe that."

"It was just two energies between two people, you can't prescribe that."

Ralph Fiennes, British Actor

42

"There was, no doubt, a confusion of persons in damnation: what Pantheists falsely hoped of Heaven bad men really received in Hell. They were melted down into their Master, as a lead soldier slips down and loses his shape in the ladle over the gas ring."

"There was, no doubt, a confusion of persons in damnation: what Pantheists falsely hoped of Heaven bad men really received in Hell. They were melted down into their Master, as a lead soldier slips down and loses his shape in the ladle over the gas ring."

C. S. Lewis, British Author

Afterlife, Heaven, Fate, Suffering

42

"An empty book is like an infant's soul, in which anything may be written. It is capable of all things, but containeth nothing. I have a mind to fill this with profitable wonders."

"An empty book is like an infant's soul, in which anything may be written. It is capable of all things, but containeth nothing. I have a mind to fill this with profitable wonders."

Thomas Traherne, British Clergyman

Soul, May, Mind, Nothing

42

"This was a favourite dress, one of Sally Parker's, the last almost she ever made, alas, for Sally had now retired, living at Ealing, and if ever I have a moment, thought Clarissa (but never would she have a moment any more), I shall go and see her at Ealing."

"This was a favourite dress, one of Sally Parker's, the last almost she ever made, alas, for Sally had now retired, living at Ealing, and if ever I have a moment, thought Clarissa (but never would she have a moment any more), I shall go and see her at Ealing."

Virginia Woolf, British Author

Nostalgia, Memory, Fashion, Regret

42

"But when you actually go in the ring, it's a very lonely and scary place. It's just you and the other guy."

"But when you actually go in the ring, it's a very lonely and scary place. It's just you and the other guy."

Frank Bruno, British Athlete

Sportsmanship, Lonely

42

"What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade."

"What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade."

Gertrude Jekyll, British Celebrity

Beauty, Time, Fulfillment, June

42

"I've never believed much in that holding hands kind of love. I've always thought that love is about two different personalities trying to confront life, trying to make sense of their responsibilities, to themselves, to each other, and to the wider society."

"I've never believed much in that holding hands kind of love. I've always thought that love is about two different personalities trying to confront life, trying to make sense of their responsibilities, to themselves, to each other, and to the wider society."

Alan Bates, British Actor

Love, Society, Life, Thought

42

"I don't want to be involved in endless media gossip."

"I don't want to be involved in endless media gossip."

Kate Adie, British Journalist

Privacy, Gossip, Media, Want

42

"A book is worth a few francs; we Germans can afford to destroy those. We all may not appreciate artistic merit, but cash value is another matter."

"A book is worth a few francs; we Germans can afford to destroy those. We all may not appreciate artistic merit, but cash value is another matter."

Paul Scofield, British Actor

May, Merit, Value, Worth

42

"There's nothing particularly physical that I find attractive in a man. It's men with a passion for something that I find attractive."

"There's nothing particularly physical that I find attractive in a man. It's men with a passion for something that I find attractive."

Rhona Mitra, British Actress

Men, Man, Nothing, Passion

42

"I hate painting."

"I hate painting."

Howard Hodgkin, British Artist

42

"I think I would say 'The King's Speech' is surprisingly funny, in fact the audiences in London, Toronto, LA, New York commented there's more laughter in this film than in most comedies, while it is also a moving tear-jerker with an uplifting ending."

"I think I would say 'The King's Speech' is surprisingly funny, in fact the audiences in London, Toronto, LA, New York commented there's more laughter in this film than in most comedies, while it is also a moving tear-jerker with an uplifting ending."

Tom Hooper, British Director

Fun, Funny, Audiences, Ending, Fact

42

"Ability is sexless."

"Ability is sexless."

John Henry Newman, British Clergyman

42

"Anyone can write one book: even politicians do it. Starting a second book reveals an intention to be a professional writer."

"Anyone can write one book: even politicians do it. Starting a second book reveals an intention to be a professional writer."

Len Deighton, British Historian

Photography, Intention, Politicians, Writer

42

"What is so brilliant about the gadgets is their simplicity."

"What is so brilliant about the gadgets is their simplicity."

Desmond Llewelyn, British Actor

42

"There is curiously little art concerning the efficacy of reason - perhaps simply because reason is not noticeably efficacious."

"There is curiously little art concerning the efficacy of reason - perhaps simply because reason is not noticeably efficacious."

Nicholas Mosley, British Novelist

42

"One of the things that binds us as a family is a shared sense of humor."

"One of the things that binds us as a family is a shared sense of humor."

Ralph Fiennes, British Actor

Family, Humor, Sense

42

"I am a brain, Watson. The rest of me is a mere appendix."

"I am a brain, Watson. The rest of me is a mere appendix."

Arthur Conan Doyle, British Writer

Intelligence, Mind, Intellect, Self, Identity

42

"Of course I'm not a racist, but I'm certainly right wing, there's no question about that."

"Of course I'm not a racist, but I'm certainly right wing, there's no question about that."

Nigel Short, British Celebrity

Question, Right

42

"I've enjoyed it, I have seen it once at the premiere in London and it was very nice to be invited there. But I do want to see it again now. I want to sit and watch it as a fan rather than being there at the premiere with all the lights and such."

"I've enjoyed it, I have seen it once at the premiere in London and it was very nice to be invited there. But I do want to see it again now. I want to sit and watch it as a fan rather than being there at the premiere with all the lights and such."

Jeremy Bulloch, British Actor

Being, London, Now, Want

42

"Whenever I am sent a new book on the lively arts, the first thing I do is look for myself in the index."

"Whenever I am sent a new book on the lively arts, the first thing I do is look for myself in the index."

Julie Burchill, British Journalist

42

"I am not, I repeat, NOT a lesbian - even though I'd like to be one when I grow up."

"I am not, I repeat, NOT a lesbian - even though I'd like to be one when I grow up."

Dawn French, British Comedian

42

"If you watch any good player, they're using different parts of their body and working with instruments that respond to those movements. They're moving in many dimensions at once."

"If you watch any good player, they're using different parts of their body and working with instruments that respond to those movements. They're moving in many dimensions at once."

Brian Eno, British Musician

42

"Accomplishment is such a patronizing, dangerous word, isn't it? I haven't really accomplished anything. The most accomplished thing I've done is to have lived this long - 81."

"Accomplishment is such a patronizing, dangerous word, isn't it? I haven't really accomplished anything. The most accomplished thing I've done is to have lived this long - 81."

Patrick Macnee, British Actor

Accomplishment, Word

42

"Throw away thy rod, throw away thy wrath; O my God, take the gentle path."

"Throw away thy rod, throw away thy wrath; O my God, take the gentle path."

George Herbert, British Poet

42

"I'm sure acting is a deeply neurotic thing to do."

"I'm sure acting is a deeply neurotic thing to do."

Ralph Fiennes, British Actor

42

"You come on as a guest. You don't get the girl anymore. But that is our lives. You start off as the boyfriend, then you are the lover, then you are the husband, then you are the father, and then you are the grandfather."

"You come on as a guest. You don't get the girl anymore. But that is our lives. You start off as the boyfriend, then you are the lover, then you are the husband, then you are the father, and then you are the grandfather."

Albert Finney, British Actor

Father, HusbBoyfriend, Guest

42

"It seems that the creative faculty and the critical faculty cannot exist together in their highest perfection."

"It seems that the creative faculty and the critical faculty cannot exist together in their highest perfection."

W. Somerset Maugham, British Playwright

42

"The first piece of music that captured my imagination was probably Ray Charles Live At Newport."

"The first piece of music that captured my imagination was probably Ray Charles Live At Newport."

Van Morrison, British Musician

Imagination, Music, First

42

"It's always good when women win things in fiction because it tends to be more male-dominated, unlike poetry, which is more equal."

"It's always good when women win things in fiction because it tends to be more male-dominated, unlike poetry, which is more equal."

Carol Ann Duffy, British Poet

Woman, Women, Poetry, Fiction

42

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