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Clever jabs

277 quotes from 161 people

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The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter
Dashiell Hammett1894–1961The Maltese Falcon (1930), Chapter 12In context
- Talking
I may be only a “fish and chip shop lady”, but some of these economists need to get their heads out of the textbooks and get a job in the real world. I would not even let one of them handle my grocery shopping.
Pauline Hansonborn 1954Maiden Speech as the Member for Oxley (1996)
- Economics
Like the British Constitution, she owes her success in practice to her inconsistencies in principle.
Thomas Hardy1840–1928The Hand of Ethelberta (1876), Ch. 9
There used to be a time when this country’s president could have delivered the same New Year’s Address he had given a year before, and nobody would have noticed.
Fortunately, that time has passed.
Václav Havel1936–2011New Year’s Address to the Nation (1991)
- Presidency
Las Vegas is a three-ring circus with a hangover.
Robert A. Heinlein1907–1988Friday (1982), Chapter 25 (p. 260)
I suspect that there are just two sorts of lawyers: those who spend their efforts making life easy for other people⁠—and parasites.
Robert A. Heinlein1907–1988Friday (1982), Chapter 24 (p. 257)
- Laws
Personal columnists … are jackals and no jackal has been known to live on grass once he had learned about meat — no matter who killed the meat for him.
Ernest Hemingway1899–1961A Letter from Cuba (1934)
- Journalism
I have noticed that doctors who fail in the practice of medicine have a tendency to seek one another’s company and aid in consultation. A doctor who cannot take out your appendix properly will recommend to you a doctor who will be unable to remove your tonsils with success.
Ernest Hemingway1899–1961A Farewell to Arms (1929), Book II, Chapter XVIn context
- Health
Someone like Jean-Luc Godard is for me intellectual counterfeit money when compared to a good kung fu film.
Werner Herzogborn 1942Herzog on Herzog (2002)
- Movies
Political correctness is tyranny with manners.
Charlton Heston1923–2008Speech at the Harvard Law School (1999), as quoted in “Appreciation: Charlton Heston” in Time magazine (April 6, 2008)
- Politics
Pascal proves nothing in favour of Religion, unless that a man of genius may be foolish on some subjects, and is but a child, when he is weak enough to listen to his prejudices.
Baron d'Holbach1723–1789Good Sense without God (Le Bon Sens, 1772), sect. 167
- Anti-Religion
You may have genius. The contrary is, of course, probable.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.1809–1894
- Genius
Civilized nations never, never have selfish motives for butchering, raping and looting; only horrid barbarians have those.
Robert E. Howard1906–1936From a letter to H. P. Lovecraft (5 December 1935)
- War & Peace
I have never yet done a man to death by torture, but by God, sir, you tempt me!
Robert E. Howard1906–1936“Red Shadows” (1928)
An infinite God ought to be able to protect himself, without going in partnership with State Legislatures.
Robert G. Ingersoll1833–1899Some Mistakes of Moses (1879) Section III, “The Politicians”.
- Anti-Religion
- Laws