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“In Rangoon The heat of noon Is just what the natives shun, They put their Scotch Or Rye down And lie down.”
Noël Coward (1899–1973) said by 1973 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The bias of each medium of communication is far more distorting than the deliberate lie.”
Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980) first seen 1973 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: JQ. Journalism quarterly, Volume 50, Association for Education in Journalism, 1973, p. 145
“She gave the lie to the European superstition - chiefly a missionary superstition - that the women of the East are downtrodden.”
Anthony Burgess (1917–1993) said by 1993 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is sometimes necessary to lie damnably in the interests of the nation.”
Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953) first seen 1917 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to G.K. Chesterton (12 December 1917), quoted in Robert Speaight, The Life of Hilaire Belloc (London: Hollis & Carter, 1957), p. 355
“[I]n words lie the seeds of all dissension, and love at its most profound is silent.”
Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953) said by 1953 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The moment a man talks to his fellows he begins to lie.”
Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953) said by 1953 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Afterwards I learned, that the best way to manage some kinds of painful thoughts, is to dare them to do their worst; to let them lie and gnaw at your heart till they are tired; and you find you still have a residue of life they cannot kill.”
George MacDonald (1824–1905) said by 1905 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We want those who seized and continue to hold power in Kiev to immediately stop hostilities. Otherwise, the responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will lie entirely on the conscience of Ukraine’s ruling regime.”
Vladimir Putin (born 1952) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address by the President of the Russian Federation en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67828 (21 February 2022)
“I want to emphasize again that all responsibility for the possible bloodshed will lie fully and wholly with the ruling Ukrainian regime.”
Vladimir Putin (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Even the propagandists on the radio find it very difficult to really say let alone believe that the world will be a happy place, of love and peace and plenty, and that the lion will lie down with the lamb and everybody will believe anybody.”
Gertrude Stein (1874–1946) said by 1946 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You [Christian Wakeford] were making s*** up because you were told to by your masters in the Foreign Office in Tel Aviv because of this hate. This hate is being organised from Israel. And I’m not afraid to say it because I know Christian Wakeford, that what I'm saying is not a lie.”
Roger Waters (born 1943) first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Comments at the O2 venue during a performance (6 June 2023), as cited in "Roger Waters claims 'cripple' Labour MP is working for 'his masters in Tel Aviv'" The Jewish Chronicle (7 June 2023)
“By a lie a man throws away and, as it were, annihilates his dignity as a man. A man who himself does not believe what he tells another … has even less worth than if he were a mere thing. … makes himself a mere deceptive appearance of man, not man himself.”
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) said by 1804 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Doctrine of Virtue as translated by Mary J. Gregor (1964), p. 93
“A metaphysics of morals is therefore indispensably necessary, not merely because of a motive to speculation — for investigating the source of the practical basic principles that lie a priori in our reason — but also because morals themselves remain subject to all sorts of corruption as long as we are without that clue and supreme norm by which to appraise them correctly...”
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) said by 1804 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The art of dancing stands at the source of all the arts that express themselves first in the human person. The art of building, or architecture, is the beginning of all the arts that lie outside the person; and in the end they unite.”
Havelock Ellis (1859–1939) said by 1939 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The worst of all of this is the lie that condoms really protect against AIDS. The condom failure rate can be as high as 20 percent. Would you get on a plane — or put your children on a plane — if one of five passengers would be killed on the flight? Well, the statistic holds for condoms, folks.”
Rush Limbaugh (1951–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Let me tell you something. They say he lied to Congress. I can think of no better bunch of people to lie to than Congress.”
Rush Limbaugh (1951–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Many words befall men, mean and noble alike; do not be astonished by them, nor allow yourself to be constrained. If a lie is told, bear with it gently. But whatever I tell you, let it be done completely. Let no one persuade you by word or deed to do or say whatever is not best for you.”
Pythagoras (583–491 BC) said by 491 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Divine Harmony: The Life and Teachings of Pythagoras by John Strohmeier and Peter Westbrook. (1999)
“Lie down among the pines for a while, then get to plain pure white love-work … to help humanity and other mortals and the Lord.”
John Muir (1838–1914) first seen 1911 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: letter to Mrs. J.D. Hooker (19 September 1911); published in The Life and Letters of John Muir (1924), chapter 17, II; and in John Muir's Last Journey, edited by Michael P. Branch (Island Press, 2001), page 67
“At night I sit in my chamber and read the Bible. Far in the distance roars the sea. Then I lie down and think for a long time about the calm and pale man from Nazareth.”
Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945) said by 1945 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Human beings are compelled to live within a lie, but they can be compelled to do so only because they are in fact capable of living in this way. Therefore not only does the system alienate humanity, but at the same time alienated humanity supports this system as its own involuntary masterplan, as a degenerate image of its own degeneration, as a record of people's own failure as individuals.”
Václav Havel (1936–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My dear fellow citizens, For forty years you heard from my predecessors on this day different variations on the same theme: how our country was flourishing, how many million tons of steel we produced, how happy we all were, how we trusted our government, and what bright perspectives were unfolding in front of us. I assume you did not propose me for this office so that I, too, would lie to you.”
Václav Havel (1936–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I know we have still done very little, and that the main tasks still lie ahead of us. I would say that we have just completed a year of preparation in which the conditions for a new environment have been created.”
Václav Havel (1936–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Something happened on the day he died Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried (I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar) How many times does an angel fall? How many people lie instead of talking tall? He trod on sacred ground, he cried loud into the crowd (I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar, I’m not a gangster)”
David Bowie (1947–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood. If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move. Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society— the social ramble ain't restful. Avoid running at all times. And don't look back— something might be gaining on you.”
Satchel Paige (1906–1982) first seen 1953 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: How to Stay Young," Collier's Magazine (13 June 1953)
“It's February the 22nd And I can't tell a lie.”
Irving Berlin (1888–1989) said by 1989 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I can hardly believe that it took a revolution to teach the world that extreme disparities in wealth lie at the root of many ills and crimes, but we are not the less convinced that the realization of an equality of fortunes is a visionary’s dream.”
Maximilien Robespierre (1758–1794) said by 1794 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What makes you weep, my friend? In you is all power. Summon up your all-powerful nature, O mighty one, and this whole universe will lie at your feet. It is the Self alone that predominates, and not matter.”
Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) said by 1902 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Destiny is a lie. Destiny is justification for atrocity. It is the means by which murderers armour themselves against reprimand. It is a word intended to stand in place of ethics, denying all moral context.”
Steven Erikson (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“So much had changed inside him. He was no believer in causes, not any more. Certainty was an illusion, a lie. Fanaticism was poison in the soul, and the first victim in its inexorable, ever-growing list was compassion. Who could speak of freedom, when one's soul was bound in chains?”
Steven Erikson (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“'It is the legacy of most intelligent beings to revel in slaughter for a time,' Haut replied. 'In this we play at being gods. In this, we lie to ourselves with delusions of omnipotence. There is but one measure to the wisdom of a people, and that is the staying hand. Fail in restraint and murder thrives in your eyes, and all your claims to civilization ring hollow.”
Steven Erikson (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Trump's bombast is already alarming our allies and fueling the enmity of our enemies. Insulting all Muslims will keep many of them from fully engaging with us in the urgent fight against ISIS. And for what purpose? Muslim terrorists would only have to lie about their religion to enter the country.”
Mitt Romney (born 1947) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Have you lost your mind? Tell me when you think we crossed the line No more drugs for me, pussy and religion is all I need Grab my hand and baby, we'll live a hell of a lie I think I fell in love with a pornstar And got married in the bathroom Honeymoon on the dance floor And got divorced by the end of the night That's one hell of a life.”
Kanye West (born 1977) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[Word-for-word translation] O stranger, announce to the Lacadaemonians [Spartans] that here We lie, to their words [or laws] obedient.”
Simonides of Ceos (556–468 BC) said by 468 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We are doing what the dinosaurs did before us, only faster. We bring strangers together to make strange bedfellows, and we remake the beds they lie in, all at once.”
Jonathan Weiner (born 1953) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“They've gotta stop reporting wind chill. That's nonsense. It really is. I don't know where they came up with it, why they came up with it, but it's a lie. They come on, "Well, it's 27 degrees today, but with the wind chill, it's minus 3." … WELL, THEN IT'S MINUS 3, ASSHOLE! I don't need to know what the weather was like if the conditions were perfect!”
Lewis Black (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If he that in the field is slain Be in the bed of honour lain, He that is beaten may be said To lie in honour's truckle-bed.”
Samuel Butler (poet) first seen 1047 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Canto III, line 1047
Also quoted by: Samuel Butler
“Stretches of ocean lie between our lands but it is never too far or too difficult for us to keep in touch.”
Mahathir Mohamad (born 1925) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One hundred years ago, the slave was freed. One hundred years later, the Negro remains in bondage to the color of his skin. The Negro today asks justice. We do not answer him — we do not answer those who lie beneath this soil — when we reply to the Negro by asking, "Patience.”
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) said by 1973 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It was here that I first saw the light of day; here I received my bride, here my dead lie pillowed on the loving breast of our eternal hills.”
Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My mom thinks my new daughter is exceptionally bright, because now she will lie on the floor and talk to the ceiling fan. I said, "Mom, Uncle Harold does that and y'all call him an alcoholic.”
Jeff Foxworthy (born 1958) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But how is the spirit of expenditure to be exorcised? Not by preaching; I doubt if even by yours. I seriously doubt whether it will ever give place to the old spirit of economy, as long as we have the income-tax. There, or hard by, lie questions of deep practical moment.”
William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898) first seen 1864 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to Richard Cobden (5 January 1864), quoted in The Life of William Ewart Gladstone Volume II (1903) by John Morley, p. 62
“The untold story mothers the lie.”
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) said by 2018 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“People who sleep only two or three hours in the twenty-four are always geniuses. The ones you hear about, anyway. Never mind if the ones you don’t hear about are dolts. Insomnia is genius. It must be. Think of all the work you could do, the thoughts you could think, the books you could read, the love you could make, while the dull clods lie snoring.”
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) said by 2018 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Between thought and spoken word is a gap where intention can enter, the symbol twisted aside, and the lie come to be.”
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) said by 2018 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Indeed, until she had met Lev at school, it had not occurred to her that anyone might prefer to speak a plain fact rather than a lie that sounded well. People said what suited their purposes, when they were serious; and when they weren’t serious, they talked without meaning anything at all.”
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) said by 2018 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“For a song I was bought Now I lie when I talk With a careful eye on the cue card. Onto a stage I was pushed, With my sorrow well rehearsed. So give me all your pity and your money, now (all of it).”
Conor Oberst (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We still think and talk of the basic problems of an industrial society as problems that can be solved by changing the "system," that is the superstructure of political organization. Yet the real problems lie within the [industrial] enterprise. On the contrary, it is the solution of the problems of the enterprise that will shape the system under which we live.”
Peter Drucker (1909–2005) said by 2005 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Knowing Yourself ...We also seldom know what gifts we are not endowed with. We will have to learn where we belong, what we have to learn to get the full benefit from our strengths, where our weaknesses lie, what our values are. We also have to know ourselves temperamentally: "Do I work well with people, or am I a loner? What am I committed to? And what is my contribution?”
Peter Drucker (1909–2005) first seen 2000 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Managing Knowledge Means Managing Oneself Leader to Leader, No. 16 (Spring 2000)
“Do I let my children listen to my music?' Of course I do. Shoot, the worst curse is a lie.”
Ol' Dirty Bastard (1968–2004) first seen 1995 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: From an MTV News video segment. 1995
“Here where I lie is the hot pit Crowding on the mind with coal And the will turned against it Only drills new seams of darkness Through the dark-surrounding whole. Our vivid suns of happiness Withered from summer, drop their flowers; Hands of the longed, withheld tomorrow Fold on the hands of yesterday In double sorrow.”
Stephen Spender (1909–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source