Famous quotes
Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,808 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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“I don't get that -- people going to war over religion. I don't know, I could see going to war over justice or democracy or even revenge. But if you're going to war over religion, now you're just killing people in an argument over who has the better imaginary friend.”
Richard Jeni (1957–2007) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: CC Presents: Richard Jeni, aired 5 May 2002.
“I have no choice, do I?” Afsan turned his blind eyes on his friend. “That’s the funny thing about being a leader, Dybo: you rarely do.”
Robert J. Sawyer (born 1960) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I want to talk to you as an old friend who has always been loyal to me. You are the only person I know who never leaks. I am getting tired of this job. I've spent thirteen years trying to keep this party together and it's been a pretty thankless task. Do you know I've only been to the theatre about twenty times in all those years? Because I have had to keep on top of everything that is happening.”
Harold Wilson (1916–1995) first seen 1974 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks to Barbara Castle (4 March 1976), quoted in Barbara Castle, The Castle Diaries, 1974–76 (1980), p. 671
“Begin, Shamir and Sharon were the evil three. Sharon is the most evil man I've run across in Israeli politics. [I regarded myself when Prime Minister as] the best friend Israel had in the Western world.”
Harold Wilson (1916–1995) first seen 1982 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech at Indiana University (4 October 1982) after the Beirut massacre, quoted in The Times (5 October 1982), p. 4
“A Man is to go about his own Business as if he had not a Friend in the World to help him in it.”
George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax (1633–1695) said by 1695 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is a reason, after all, that some people wish to colonize the moon, and others dance before it as before an ancient friend.”
James Baldwin (1924–1987) said by 1987 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“No friend to Love like a long voyage at sea.”
Aphra Behn (1640–1689) first seen 1677 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Rover, Part I, Act I, sc. ii (1677).
“…that perfect Tranquillity of Life, which is no where to be found, but in retreat, a faithful Friend and a good Library…”
Aphra Behn (1640–1689) first seen 1689 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Lucky Mistake (1689).
“Could she sing? (Was it nice to hear when she did?) Was she pretty? Was she a good friend? Could she have been a loving mother? A faithful wife? Have I got a sister and does she favor me? If my mother knew me would she like me?”
Toni Morrison (1931–2019) said by 2019 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I 've lately had two spiders Crawling upon my startled hopes. Now though thy friendly hand has brush'd 'em from me, Yet still they crawl offensive to my eyes: I would have some kind friend to tread upon 'em.”
Colley Cibber (1671–1757) said by 1757 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Reason gains all men, by compelling none. Mercy was always Heaven's distinguished mark: And he, who bears it not, has no friend there.”
Aaron Hill (writer) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Have you guys ever ghost hunted in Hawaii? No? Well, I have this fat friend... I shouldn't say fat, that might offend him, but he's Samoan and claims to have seen ghosts.”
CM Punk (born 1978) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ghost Hunters. October 31, 2006.
“My parents approached me to go to rehab... So I ran away. I just took off running. I went to a friend's house and I went pretty buck wild. I was snorting Demerol, OxyContin. I don't really remember much.”
Jack Osbourne (born 1985) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There's people outside our house; you get followed by photographers; you can't go out and have a cup of coffee with a friend without someone coming up to you”
Jack Osbourne (born 1985) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I would say that Dick was my closest friend. We had a small group, Dick Wright, Chester Himes and myself and we lived and enjoyed French life.”
Richard Wright (1908–1960) said by 1960 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ollie Harrington, Why I Left America and Other Stories (1994)
“They should call the good man an ass! They should call the bad ass a man! ]]Ironically]] … to speak thus of you, so smart, friend of the old and the young, of the stream and the butterfly, of the sun and the dog, of the flower and the moon, patient and thoughtful, melancholic and lovable, the Marcus Aurelius of the fields…”
Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881–1958) said by 1958 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ch. 55: "Donkeyography" as translated by Antonio T. de Nicolas (1985), p. 66; also translated as "Assography" in translation by Eloïse Roach.
“The barber man was small and flash, as barbers mostly are, He wore a strike-your-fancy sash, he smoked a huge cigar; He was a humorist of note and keen at repartee, He laid the odds and kept a "tote", whatever that may be, And when he saw our friend arrive, he whispered, "Here's a lark! Just watch me catch him all alive, this man from Ironbark.”
Banjo Paterson (1864–1941) first seen 1892 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Man From Ironbark", st. 2, in The Bulletin (17 December 1892)
“I signaled to my host to try to have the philosophers expound on some aspect of their knowledge. As a good friend he immediately rose to the occasion. I won't go into the conversation that accompanied his request, and the difference between the comic and the serious was too slight to translate.”
Cyrano de Bergerac (1619–1655) said by 1655 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Thou hast been called, O sleep! the friend of woe; But ’tis the happy that have called thee so.”
Robert Southey (1774–1843) said by 1843 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Shall we dance, friend of my heart?”
Christopher Paolini (born 1983) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A friend bought two cakes for his wife's birthday, with a "3" on one and an "8" on the other.”
Bill Engvall (born 1957) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Why should we be closer to the Soviets? Because the Americans have challenged us. America is involved in a conspiracy [against the Arab world], primarily because of its policy toward Israel. In our view, whoever is against the Americans stands with us. The enemy of your enemy is your friend.”
Muammar Gaddafi (1942–2011) first seen 1979 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Time (9 April 1979) "World: An Interview with Gaddafi
“You’re pro-life,” Dink commented. Briess widened the slit of his mouth into an excruciating smile. “No, my friend, I’m merely anti-woman. I was born in the wrong system. Once female life expectancy exceeded that of men in the U.S., it was obvious we were doing something wrong.”
Sheri S. Tepper (1929–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is a great Field-Marshal, my friend, who arrays our battalions; Let us to Providence trust, and abide and work in our stations.”
Arthur Hugh Clough (1819–1861) said by 1861 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merely a marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.”
Arthur Hugh Clough (1819–1861) said by 1861 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I was a beggarly boy, And lived in a cellar damp, I had not a friend nor a toy, But I had Aladdin's lamp.”
James Russell Lowell (1819–1891) first seen 1868 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Aladdin, st. 1 (1868)
“As life runs on, the road grows strange With faces new, and near the end The milestones into headstones change, 'Neath every one a friend.”
James Russell Lowell (1819–1891) said by 1891 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There's a road, long and winding. The lights are blindin', but it gets there. Don't give up, don't look back. There's a silver linin', it's out there somewhere. Everybody wants an answer, everybody needs a friend. We all need a shinin' star on which we can depend.”
Bryan Adams (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Lord Palmerston: Then you did not vote for me, friend Rowcliffe; you preferred voting for a Tory. William Rowcliffe: I did not vote for you, my Lord, for if I had, I should have voted for a Tory.”
Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (1784–1865) first seen 1865 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: During the general election of July 1865 when the Chartist Rowcliffe voted for a Conservative and another Liberal in an attempt to oust Palmerston from the two-member constituency; quoted in F. J. Snell, Palmerston's Bo…
“Was it a friend or foe that spread these lies? Nay, who but infants question in such wise, 'T was one of my most intimate enemies.”
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882) said by 1882 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Fragment, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).
“Does the road wind up-hill all the way? Yes, to the very end. Will the day's journey take the whole long day? From morn to night, my friend.”
Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) first seen 1861 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Up-Hill, st. 1 (1861).
“For there is no friend like a sister In calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious way, To fetch one if one goes astray, To lift one if one totters down, To strengthen whilst one stands.”
Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) first seen 1862 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Goblin Market, st. 28 (1862).
“Sleeping at last, the trouble and tumult over, Sleeping at last, the struggle and horror past, Cold and white, out of sight of friend and of lover, Sleeping at last.”
Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) first seen 1893 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Sleeping at Last, st. 1 (1893) .
“[ despite that we have an ambassador] who is eminently suitable for putting across the friendly point of view... .. (now comes) the wild insinuation that our attitude is determined by foreign influences... It looks as though it is not a friend speaking in that language but a potential enemy.”
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) said by 1950 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The dead lay unburied, and each man as he recognized a friend among them shuddered with grief and horror; while the living whom they were leaving behind, wounded or sick, were to the living far more shocking than the dead, and more to be pitied than those who had perished.”
Thucydides (461–395 BC) said by 395 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Why, when the world gets to understand about it I expect that two men or two women, or a man and a woman, will come in here, and say to me, 'We have quarrelled and outraged each other, we have injured our friend, our wife, our husband; we regret, we would forgive, but we cannot, because we remember. Put between us the atonement of forgetfulness, that we may love each other as of old.”
Edward Bellamy (1850–1898) said by 1898 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I demanded of my friend what viands he preferred, He quoth: "A large cold bottle, and a small hot bird!”
Eugene Field (1850–1895) said by 1895 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Wal'r, my boy," replied the Captain, "in the Proverbs of Solomon you will find the following words, 'May we never want a friend in need, nor a bottle to give him!' When found, make a note of.”
Charles Dickens (1812–1870) said by 1870 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Professionally he declines and falls, and as a friend he drops into poetry.”
Charles Dickens (1812–1870) said by 1870 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Before or after your stole my best friend? But the real question is if you were using me to get to Martha all along, or if you just took an opportunity when you saw it.”
Elizabeth Curtis Sittenfeld (born 1975) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Magne Furuholmen is a very dear friend of mine. A-ha are a classic pop band and they've got some brilliant songs. I'd say 'The Living Daylights' was one of my favourite Bond tunes: regardless of it being a Bond song, it stands alone as a great piece of music. source”
Guy Berryman (born 1978) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Boy made his way back to the village in a state of great despondency. First of all, there wasn't going to be any fight; next, his dear and honoured friend the dragon hadn't shown up in quite such a heroic light as he would have liked; and lastly, whether the dragon was a hero at heart or not, it made no difference, for St. George would most undoubtedly cut his head off.”
Kenneth Grahame (1859–1932) said by 1932 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Would you that spangle of Existence spend About the Secret — Quick about it, Friend! A Hair perhaps divides the False and True — And upon what, prithee, may life depend?”
Omar Khayyám (1048–1131) said by 1131 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: XLIX (1889)
“Is a friend faithless? Spurn him as a foe, But on trustworthy foes respect bestow, Hold healing poison for an antidote, And baneful sweets for deadly eisel know.”
Omar Khayyám (1048–1131) said by 1131 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Well, if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand. I've seen your face before my friend But I don't know if you know who I am. Well, I was there and I saw what you did I saw it with my own two eyes. So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you've been. It's all been a pack of lies”
Phil Collins (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There were many seas. The sea roared like a tiger. The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets. The sea clinked like small change in a pocket. The sea thundered like avalanches. The sea hissed like sandpaper working on wood. The sea sounded like someone vomiting. The sea was dead silent.”
Yann Martel (born 1963) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Retribution—ah, my friend, retribution is the sweetest of all sweet dark dreams.”
Stephen R. Donaldson (born 1947) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Then he grinned. “But it is said that hunger teaches many things. My friend, a wealth of wisdom awaits us on this journey.”
Stephen R. Donaldson (born 1947) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Sharing is a kinsman's or a friend's obligation, and it is not in the category of a gift.”
Peter Farb (1929–1980) said by 1980 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[Marlon] Brando was my best friend, [Robert] Mitchum, Burt Lancaster, even though he tried to kill me three times.”
Michael Winner (1935–2013) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: From an interview, as cited in "Michael Winner: Dignitas is not a walk in death", The Times (4 October 2012)