English

Explore 7518 quotes originally in English

What is Hope? nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of.

Lord Byron

More information about this quote

Topic

Hope

Author

Lord Byron

Source

Letters of Lord Byron

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1815 1810s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Lord Byron. Letter To Thomas Moore. 28 Oct. 1815.

Current Citation

Lord Byron. Byron's Letters and Journals: A New Selection, edited by Richard Lansdown. Oxford University Press, 2015, ch. 5.

You can be a little old for a lot of things. You're never too old to be afraid.

Home Alone

Watch Home Alone at Amazon Watch Home Alone at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Fear

Speaker

Marley

Actor

Roberts Blossom

Source

Home Alone

Medium

Film

Genre

Christmas (film) Comedy (film) Christmas Comedy

Language

English

Time

1990 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Home Alone. Directed by Chris Columbus, Hughes Entertainment , 1990.

I do not entertain hypotheticals. The world as it is is vexin' enough.

True Grit

Watch True Grit at Amazon Watch True Grit at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Hypothetical situations

Speaker

Col. Stonehill

Actor

Dakin Matthews

Source

True Grit

Medium

Film

Genre

Western (film) Western

Language

English

Time

2010 2010s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

True Grit. Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Skydance Productions/Mike Zoss Productions/Scott Rudin Productions, 2010.

I know things can really get rough when you go it alone. Don’t go thinking you gotta be tough and bleed like a stone.

The Shins

Simple Song

Listen to Simple Song at Amazon Listen to Simple Song at Amazon
Read the lyrics to "Simple Song" at genius.com

More information about this quote

Topic

Support from others Support Man as social animal

Speaker

The Shins

Source

Simple Song

Medium

Song

Genre

Rock music

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

2012 2010s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Mercer, James. "Simple Song." Port of Morrow. Aural Apothecary/Columbia Records, 2012.

A means can be justified only by its end. But the end in its turn needs to be justified.

Leon Trotsky

More information about this quote

Topic

End justifies the means Justifications and rationales

Author

Leon Trotsky

Source

Their Morals and Ours Socialist Workers' Party's New International Magazine

Medium

Essay Magazine

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1938 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Trotsky, Leon. "Their Morals and Ours." The New International, June 1938.

Let me say, with the risk of appearing ridiculous, that the true revolutionary is guided by strong feelings of love. It is impossible to think of an authentic revolutionary without this quality.

Che Guevara

More information about this quote

Topic

Revolutionaries Revolutionary politics

Speaker

Che Guevara

Language

English

Time

1997 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Che Guevara. Quoted in Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life, written by Jon Lee Anderson. Grove Press, 1997, pt. 3, ch. 27.

Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we get high
Cause you never know
When you're gonna go.

Nas

Life's a Bitch

Listen to Life's a Bitch at Amazon Listen to Life's a Bitch at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

The human condition Drugs Nihilism

Speaker

Nas

Source

Life's a Bitch Illmatic

Medium

Song

Genre

Hip hop

Language

English

Time

1994 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Nas and Anthony Cruz and Olu Dara. "Life's a Bitch." Illmatic. Columbia Records, 1994.

We owe it, therefore, to candor, and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.

James Monroe

1823 State of the Union

Principle that became known as the "Monroe Doctrine".

More information about this quote

Topic

America and Europe Western hemisphere Monroe doctrine American politics

Author

James Monroe

Source

1823 State of the Union Presidential State of the Union addresses

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1823 1820s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Monroe, James. Message to Congress about The Monroe Doctrine. Seventh annual message to Congress. 2 Dec. 1823, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

The idea that the poor should have leisure has always been shocking to the rich.

Bertrand Russell

Buy In Praise of Idleness at Amazon Buy In Praise of Idleness at Amazon
Read In Praise of Idleness at harpers.org

More information about this quote

Topic

Rich vs. poor Leisure Equality

Author

Bertrand Russell

Source

In Praise of Idleness Harper's Magazine

Medium

Essay Magazine

Language

English

Time

1932 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Russell, Bertrand. "In Praise of Idleness." In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays. George Allen & Unwin, 1935. Originally published in Harper's Magazine, Oct. 1932.

Well, as I said, this is a man's world, Jeff, and you gotta check your ideals outside the door like you do your others.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington at Amazon Watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Ideals in politics Politics

Speaker

Senator Joseph Paine

Actor

Claude Rains

Source

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Medium

Film

Genre

Political (film) Comedy drama (film) Political Comedy drama

Language

English

Time

1939 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Directed by Frank Capra, Columbia Pictures, 1939.

You don't need to follow me! You don't need to follow anybody! You got to think for yourselves! You're all individuals! You're all different!

Monty Python's Life of Brian

Watch Monty Python's Life of Brian at Amazon Watch Monty Python's Life of Brian at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Thinking for oneself

Speaker

Brian Cohen

Actor

Graham Chapman

Source

Monty Python's Life of Brian

Medium

Film

Genre

Comedy (film) Comedy

Language

English

Time

1979 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Monty Python's Life of Brian. Directed by Terry Jones, Handmade Films/Python (Monty) Pictures, 1979.

War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.

Cormac McCarthy

Blood Meridian; or The Evening Redness in the West

Buy Blood Meridian at Amazon Buy Blood Meridian at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Man and war War

Author

Cormac McCarthy

Source

Blood Meridian; or The Evening Redness in the West

Medium

Novel

Genre

Western literature

Language

English

Time

1985 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

McCarthy, Cormac. Blood Meridian; or The Evening Redness in the West. Random House, 1985, ch. 17.

You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous is, ‘Never get involved in a land war in Asia’ but only slightly less well-known is this: ‘Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!’

The Princess Bride

Watch The Princess Bride at Amazon Watch The Princess Bride at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Vietnam War

Speaker

Vizzini

Actor

Wallace Shawn

Source

The Princess Bride

Medium

Film

Genre

Comedy (film) Fantasy (film) Comedy Fantasy

Language

English

Time

1987 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Princess Bride. Directed by Rob Reiner, Act III Communications/Buttercup Films/The Princess Bride Ltd., 1987.

Leadership means making people feel good.

Jean Chrétien

More information about this quote

Topic

Leadership

Speaker

Jean Chrétien

Source

Toronto Star

Medium

Interview

Language

English

Time

1984 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Chretien, Jean. Interview. Toronto Star, 7 June 1984.

Everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe.

David Foster Wallace

2005 Kenyon College commencement address

Buy This Is Water at Amazon Buy This Is Water at Amazon
Read this speech at purdue.edu

More information about this quote

Topic

Narcissism Perception vs. reality The universe

Speaker

David Foster Wallace

Source

2005 Kenyon College commencement address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Commencement address

Language

English

Time

2005 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Wallace, David Foster. Commencement address at Kenyon College. Commencement. 21 May 2005, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, USA.

Current Citation

Wallace, David Foster. This is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion about Living a Compassionate Life. Little, Brown and Company, 2009.

Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio. Subsistence only increases in an arithmetical ratio.

Thomas Robert Malthus

Read An Essay on the Principle of Population at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Population growth

Author

Thomas Robert Malthus

Source

Essay on the Principle of Population

Genre

Economic literature

Language

English

Time

1798 1790s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Malthus, Thomas [published anonymously]. An Essay on the Principle of Population. London: J. Johnson, 1798, ch. 1.

Current Citation

Malthus, Thomas. "An Essay on the Principle of Population." An Essay on the Principle of Population and Other Writings, edited by Robert Mayhew. Penguin Classics, 2015, ch. 1.

O, my son's my son till he gets him a wife,
But my daughter's my daughter all her life.

Dinah Craik

More information about this quote

Topic

Mothers and sons Mothers and daughters

Speaker

Fea

Author

Dinah Craik

Source

Magnus and Morna

Language

English

Time

1881 1880s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Craik, Dinah Mulock. "Magnus and Morna." Thirty Years: Being Poems, New and Old. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1881, sc. 2.

A lily or a rose never pretends, and its beauty is that it is what it is.

Jiddu Krishnamurti

More information about this quote

Topic

Lilies Roses Flowers Authenticity

Author

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Source

Think on These Things

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

English

Time

1970 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Krishnamurti, Jiddu. Think on These Things. Harper & Row, 1964, ch. 20.

I am not over-fond of resisting temptation.

William Beckford

Vathek

More information about this quote

Topic

Temptation

Speaker

Vathek

Author

William Beckford

Source

Vathek

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1786 1780s 18th century

Era

Age of Enlightenment

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Beckford, William [published anonymously]. An Arabian Tale, From an Unpublished Manuscript, translated by Samuel Henley. London: J. Johnson, 1786.

Current Citation

Beckford, William. Vathek, translated by Samuel Henley. Oxford University Press, 2013.

The greatest heroes that the world can know,
To women their original must owe.

Mary Collier

More information about this quote

Topic

Mothers and children Mothers Women

Author

Mary Collier

Source

The Three Wise Sentences

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1740 1740s 18th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Collier, Mary. "The Three Wise Sentences, from the First Book of Esdras." The Woman's Labour: an Epistle to Mr. Stephen Duck: in Answer to His Late Poem, Called The Thresher's Labour. To which are Added, The Three Wise Sentences, Taken from the First Book of Esdras, Ch. III. and IV. London, 1739.

Current Citation

Collier, Mary. "The Three Wise Sentences Taken from The First Book of Esdras." The Woman's Labour and Other Poems. Renard Press, 2021.