English Quotes

"Whoever neglects the arts when he is young has lost the past and is dead to the future."

“Very” is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen. For example, would you rather hear the mincing shallowness of “I love you very much” or the heart-slamming intensity of “I love you”?

The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.

"No te cases asta que tengas una carrera"
--Don't get married until you have a career--

Does do did, doesn't don't didn't. I hate grammar.

It is a damn poor mind that can think of only one way to spell a word.

The English, not being a spiritual people, invented cricket to give them some idea of eternity.

Canada is the linchpin of the English-speaking world.

Mad dogs and Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun.

The English speaking world may be divided into (1) those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) those who do not know, but care very much; (3) those who know and condemn; (4) those who know and approve; and (5) those who know and distinguish. Those who neither know nor care are the vast majority and are a happy folk, to be envied by most of the minority classes.

Love wol nat been constreyned by maistrye.
When maistrie comth, the God of Love anon
Beteth his wynges, and farewel, he is gon!

Part of what makes a language "alive" is its constant evolution. [...] I love editing "Harry" with Arthur Levine, my American editor -- the differences between "British English" (of which there must be at least 200 versions) and "American English" (ditto!) are a source of constant interest and amusement to me.

Scots is English in its underwear. It's difficult to be pretentious in a language like that.

Grammar is important. Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse & helping your uncle jack off a horse.

He's an Anglo-Saxon Messenger—and those are Anglo-Saxon attitudes.

Englishman: Oh, it's Cricket. Marvelous game. The bowler hurls the ball toward the batter who tries to play away a fine leg. He endeavors to score by dashing between the creases, provided the wicket keeper hasn't whipped his bails off, of course.
Peter: Anybody get that?
Cleveland: The only British idiom I know is that "fag" means "cigarette."
Peter: Well, someone tell this "cigarette" to shut up.

English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England.

It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.

Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind.

I am a Londoner, a village boy within the greater city. I do not feel British. I do not even feel English. I feel a Londoner. Born and bred here; lived and worked here; content to die here; I am a Londoner.