I Wish I Had Said That
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About this ebook
If you ever wanted to say something clever – make a smart remark or a witty comeback - but couldn’t put your finger on just the right thing to say, this is the book for you. It contains over 4,000 witty and wise quotations, proverbs and puns. Anything that has been included has (with a few exceptions) had to satisfy the requirement of brevity as well as being either humorous (the majority) or insightful (many). All of the lengthy and boring quotations that are often found in publications of this sort have been omitted. Entries have been arranged alphabetically by key words since the principle purpose of the book is not only to provide a repository for a certain type of wit and wisdom but also to provide appropriate quotes and sharp one-liners for conversationalists, speakers and writers. It also makes amusing reading from cover to cover for those who simply want a good laugh. In order to assist those who are looking for a specific kind of comment many headings have alternative search options bracketed alongside them. There is also an index of author references for those who want to find the quotations attributed to particular individuals. Of course, contrary to the book’s title, not everybody would want to have said some of the things that are recorded here. While some of the entries have the saving grace of being amusing or clever they are, nevertheless, quite rude, distasteful or irreverent. Others contain political messages or opinions that the reader may reject.
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I Wish I Had Said That - Brian Bedkober
I Wish I’d
Said That
Over 4,000 Humorous and Clever Quips and Quotes
Aphorisms, Proverbs and Short Quotes for all Occasions
Selected and Edited by
Brian J. Bedkober
I Wish I’d Said That
Copyright © 2014 Brian J. Bedkober
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Smashwords Edition
The information, views, opinions and visuals expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the publisher. The publisher disclaims any liabilities or responsibilities whatsoever for any damages, libel or liabilities arising directly or indirectly from the contents of this publication.
A copy of this publication can be found in the National Library of Australia.
ISBN: 978-1-742845-03-6 (pbk.)
Published by Book Pal
www.bookpal.com.au
Index of Headings
Introduction
Ability (Merit)
Abortion (Contraception)
Absence
Abstinence (Chastity)
Acceptance
Accustom
Acquaintance
Acting and Actors (Hollywood)
Action (Direction, Patience)
Addiction (Drugs)
Admiration (Respect)
Adolescence (Youth)
Adult
Adultery
Adversity (Problems)
Advertising
Advice
Affirmative Action
Age (Middle Age)
Agnostic
Agreement (Contracts)
Alcohol (Drink, Water,Alcoholic, Wine)
Alcoholic (Drink, Water,Alcohol, Wine)
Aliens
Alimony
Ambassador
Ambition
America
Anarchy
Ancestors (Genes)
Anger
Animals
Annoy (Worry)
Apathy
Apology (Regret)
Appearances (Clothes, Beauty,Height, Perception)
Applause (Speech)
Argument(Discussion, Impartial, Infallibility).
Arrogance (Snob)
Art
Astrology
Atheism
Attitude
Authority (Leadership, Tyranny)
Awards
Babies (Birth)
Bachelor (Single)
Bad (Evil)
Beauty (Appearance)
Beggar (Poverty)
Beliefs (Ideas, Ideals)
Benevolence (Charity, Welfare)
Bible
Bigotry (Mind)
Biography
Birth (Babies)
Blame (Responsibility)
Books (Reading, Writing)
Bore
Boxing
Brains (Mind, Thinking)
Brevity
Budget (Taxation)
Bureaucrat and Bureaucracy (Government)
Business (Monopoly)
Busy
Capitalism
Car (Parking)
Caution (Discretion, Prudence)
Celebrity (Fame)
Censorship
Certainty
Change
Character (Change, Snob)
Charity (Benevolence, Welfare)
Chastity
Childhood
Children (Parents, Twins)
Choice (Wrong, Decisions)
Christmas
Church (Religion)
Civilization
Clarity
Class
Cleaning (Housework)
Clergy
Cloning (Genes)
Clothes (Appearances)
Collectivism (Communism,Socialism, Democracy)
Committees
Common Sense (Judgment)
Communism(Collectivism, Socialism)
Competence
Complaint
Compromise
Computers
Conceit (Egotist, Perfect)
Conclusion (Solution)
Confessions
Confidence
Conformity (Individualism)
Confusion
Conscience
Consequences (Responsibility)
Consistency
Conspiracy
Constitutions
Consultant (Expert)
Contraception
Contracts
Contradiction
Conversation (Language, Silence)
Cooking (Food)
Corruption
Costs
Country
Courage (Hero)
Coward (Fear)
Cricket
Crime(Prison, Punishment, Theft)
Critics
Criticism
Crowds
Cult
Culture (Tradition)
Cunning (Deception)
Curiosity
Cynic (Skepticism)
Dancing
Dating
Death (Martyrs)
Debt
Deception (Cunning)
Decisions(Choice, Wrong, Committee)
Defeat (Failure)
Definitions
Delusions
Democracy (Constitutions, Government)
Denial
Dentist
Desire
Destiny (Free Will)
Determination(Purpose, Endurance, Perseverance)
Devil
Diary
Dictatorship(Tyranny, Authority)
Diet
Dignity
Diligence
Diplomacy
Direction (Action, Determination, Purpose)
Disappointment
Disapproval
Discipline
Discover
Discretion (Caution)
Discussion (Argument, Conversation, Opinion, Tact)
Disease (Doctor, Health,Treatment, Hypochondria)
Divorce
Doctor (Disease, Health,Treatment)
Dogs
Dogma
Doubt (Indecision)
Dreams (Sleep)
Drink (Alcohol, Water,Alcoholic, Wine)
Drugs (Addiction)
Duty
Dyslexia
Economics (Inflation)
Economists
Editors
Education (Teaching,Professor, School)
Efficiency
Egotist (Conceit)
Electricity
Emotions (Hate, Love)
Endurance (Determination)
Enemies (Forgiveness)
English
Enigma
Enthusiasm
Environment
Envy
Epitaphs (Funerals)
Equality
Eternity
Evidence
Evil (Bad)
Evolution (Genes)
Exercise
Excuses
Experience
Experts (Consultant, Specialist)
Explanation
Facts (Evidence)
Failure (Defeat)
Faith
Fame (Celebrity, Recognition)
Familiarity
Fanatic (Ideals)
Fashion
Fat
Faults (Perfection)
Fear (Coward)
Feminism
Fights
Fishing
Flirtation
Flying
Food (Cooking, Vegetarian)
Fools (Ignorance)
Force
Forgiveness (Enemy)
Freedom (Liberty)
Free Will (Destiny)
Friends
Funerals (Epitaphs)
Future (Prediction)
Gambling (Risk)
Genes (Ancestors, Cloning,Evolution)
Genius
Gentleman (Manners)
Girls (Women)
Glasses
God (Religion)
Golf (Sport)
Good
Gossip
Government (Bureaucracy,Democracy)
Gratitude
Greed
Growth (Progress)
Guests
Guns (Weapons)
Habit
Happiness (Pleasure)
Haste (Speed)
Hate
Health (Disease, Treatment, Hypochondria)
Hearing
Heaven
Hecklers (Insults)
Height
Hell
Hero (Courage)
History
Hobbies
Hollywood (Actors)
Home
Homosexuality
Honesty
Honor (Respect)
Hope
Housework (Cleaning)
Humility (Modesty)
Humor (Laughter)
Hunting
Husband
Hypochondria (Health, Disease)
Hypocrite
Ideas (Beliefs, Innovation)
Ideals (Beliefs, Fanatic)
Ideology (Beliefs)
Ignorance (Stupidity)
Imagination
Imitation
Immigration
Immortality (Life)
Impartial
Impossible
Incentives
Income (Money, Payment)
Indecision (Doubt)
Individualism (Conformity)
Infallibility
Inferiority
Inflation (Economics)
Influence (Perfume)
Information
Ingratitude
Inheritance
Innovation (Ideas, Original)
Insults (Hecklers)
Insurance
Intellectuals
Intelligence (Brain, Mind,Thinking)
Interests
Interesting
Intuition
Investment (Income, Money,Wealth)
Irish
Jesus
Jewish
Journalists
Judge
Judgment
Jury
Justice
Kiss
Knowledge (Understanding)
Lady
Language (Conversation, Words).
Laughter (Humor)
Law (Regulations)
Lawyers
Laziness
Leadership (Authority,Tyranny, Power)
Lending
Liberal
Liberty (Freedom)
Lies (Truth)
Life (Immortality)
Listening
Logic
Love (Emotions, Marriage,Mistress)
Loyalty
Luck
Manners (Gentleman)
Martyrs (Death)
Masochism
Masturbation
Mathematics (Probability, Statistics)
Measurement
Mediocrity
Memory
Men
Mental Illness (Paranoid, Psychiatry)
Merit (Ability)
Message
Middle Age (Age)
Mind (Bigot, Brains, Intelligence, Reason, Thinking)
Miracle
Mistakes
Mistress (Love, Marriage)
Moderation (Virtue)
Modesty (Humility, Recognition, Virtue)
Money (Income, Investment,Wealth)
Monogamy
Monopoly (Business)
Morals
Mother-in-Law (Relatives)
Movies
Murder
Music (Opera)
Myths (Superstition)
Names
Nature
Necessity
Neighbor
Nepotism
Nonsense
Nostalgia
Nudity
Objectivity
Obligation (Promise)
Obscenity (Sex)
Obscurity
Observation
Opera (Music, Sing)
Opinion
Opportunity
Opposition
Optimism
Organize
Original (Innovation)
Panic
Paradox
Paranoid
Parents (Children)
Parking
Patience
Patriotism
Payment (Value)
Peace
Pedestrian
People
Perception (Appearance)
Perfection (Conceit, Egotist, Fault)
Perfume
Perseverance (Determination)
Persuasion
Pessimism (Optimism)
Philosophers
Philosophy
Planning (Change, Prediction,Strategy)
Pleasure
Poetry
Policemen
Policy
Political Parties
Politicians (Government, Power, Statesman, Voting)
Politics
Possible
Poverty (Beggar)
Power (Politicians)
Praise
Prayer
Preaching
Prediction (Planning, Future)
Prejudice
Pride
Principles
Priorities
Prison (Crime, Punishment, Theft)
Probability
Problems (Adversity, Solution)
Procrastination
Profession
Professor
Progress (Growth)
Promise (Obligation)
Property
Prudence (Caution)
Psychiatrist
Psychiatry (Mental Illness)
Psychic
Pun
Punctuality
Punishment (Prison)
Purpose (Determination,Direction)
Puzzle
Question
Quotations
Racism
Radical
Reading (Books)
Reality
Reason (Brain, Mind, Think)
Recognition (Merit)
Reconsider
Regret (Apology)
Regulations (Law)
Relationships
Relatives
Relativity
Religion (Bible, Church, Cult,Clergy, God, Prayer, Preach)
Repetition
Reputation
Rescue
Research (Survey)
Respect (Admiration, Honor)
Responsibility (Blame,Consequences)
Restraint
Retaliation (Revenge)
Retirement
Revenge (Retaliation)
Revolution (Tyranny)
Rights
Risk
Rules
Sacrifice
Safety
Saints
Satisfy
School (Education)
Science
Secrets
Selfish
Self-Respect
Sensitivity
Serious
Sex (Obscenity)
Shopping
Shyness
Silence (Conversation)
Similarity
Simplify
Sin
Sincerity
Sing
Single (Bachelor)
Size
Skepticism (Cynic)
Sleep (Dreams)
Smoking
Snob (Character)
Socialism (Communism,Collectivism)
Soldiers
Solitude
Solution (Conclusion, Problem)
Soul
Space
Specialist (Expert)
Speech (Applause)
Speed (Haste)
Sport (Boxing, Cricket, Golf, Fishing)
Standards
Statesman
Statistics
Strategy (Planning)
Strength
Stupidity (Ignorance)
Style (Taste)
Subtlety
Success (Victory)
Suffering
Suicide
Superstition (Myth)
Survey (Research)
Suspicion
Symbolism
Talent
Taste (Style)
Taxation (Budget)
Teaching (Education)
Telephone
Television
Temptation
Theft
Theory
Thinking (Brains, Intelligence, Mind, Clarity)
Threats (Warning)
Time (Punctuality)
Timing
Tolerance
Tools
Trade
Tradition (Culture)
Tragedy
Travel
Treatment (Doctor, Health,Disease)
Treaty
Trust
Truth (Lies)
Twins
Tyranny (Authority, Dictatorship, Power, Revolution)
Ugly
Understanding (Knowledge)
Unemployment (Work)
Unity
Value (Payment)
Vegetarian
Vice
Victory (Success)
Virtue (Moderation, Modesty)
Voting
War
Warning (Threat)
Water
Wealth (Money)
Weapons (Guns)
Weather
Welfare (Charity, Benevolence)
Widows
Wife (Marriage)
Wine (Alcohol)
Wisdom
Wit
Women (Girls)
Words (Language, Writing)
Work
Worry (Annoy, Problems)
Writing (Biography, Books, Editor)
Wrong (Choice, Decisions)
Youth (Adolescence)
Introduction
The wisdom of the wise and the experience of the ages are perpetuated by quotations. Benjamin Disraeli
If you ever wanted to say something clever – make a smart remark or a witty comeback - but couldn’t put your finger on just the right thing to say, this is the book for you. As Samuel Johnson remarked, the excellence of aphorisms consists not so much in the expression of some rare or abstruse sentiment, as in the comprehension of some obvious and useful truth in a few words.
This book contains not only aphorisms and proverbs but also, when I have thought them to be particularly clever or apt, a few puns. Any quotations that have been included have (with a few exceptions) had to satisfy the requirement of brevity and conformity with my own particular sense of humor. In the case of political comments I have deliberately omitted those that appear, in my view, to be frankly erroneous – except in those occasional instances in which they either highlight their own inadequacies or are particularly amusing.
While there are several other books available of a similar type, they all seem to contain lengthy quotations from bygone eras and express ideas of little current relevance in language that most of us could not be bothered deciphering or would not wish to repeat. And many of them, while claiming to be so, are not particularly amusing or insightful.
Of course, contrary to the book’s title, I do not wish I had said absolutely everything that I have recorded. While some of the entries have the saving grace of being amusing or clever many are, nevertheless, quite rude, distasteful, irreverent or even obnoxious. Others, as I have said, contain political messages or opinions that I reject.
Entries have been arranged alphabetically by key words since the principle purpose of the book is not only to provide a repository for a certain type of wit and wisdom but also to provide appropriate quotes and sharp one-liners for conversationalists, speakers and writers. In order not to have too many separate categories, some of the entries are not entirely accurately placed under the headings where they are to be found. On the other hand, with some subjects there are so many comments that they have had to be broken up into smaller elements. And then, of course, different people read different things into the same comment. I encourage readers, therefore, to look under similar headings if they cannot find precisely what they are looking for. To assist in that process I have bracketed alongside some entries alternative headings under which the reader may profitably search.
Attribution is supplied where known, but there are inevitably a large number of cases in which the origin of the remark is unknown or uncertain. Occasionally I have credited two sources when it is unclear who was originally responsible - and some quotes have been attributed to individuals who may have been the first to utter them but that were probably written for them. The entries have been collected over a number of years from sources too numerous to acknowledge separately.
I have also included an alphabetical list of references to authors that, in order to limit its length, contains only the names of those individuals who have contributed more than two comments.
Happy reading.
Brian Bedkober
December 2015
Ability (Merit)
It’s a great ability to be able to conceal one’s ability. de la Rochefoucauld, Francois
Not only are people highly paid because they are able; they are also able because they are highly paid. Russell, Bertrand
The less their ability, the more their conceit. HaAm, Ahad
Ability will never catch up with the demand for it. Forbes, Malcolm
God is not on the side of the heavy battalions, but of the best shots. Voltaire
Abortion (Contraception)
Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.
Reagan, Ronald
If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament. Kennedy, Florynce
Absence
Absence is the dark-room in which lovers develop negatives. Dreiser, Theodore
Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder. Drummond, Hugh
Absence makes the heart go yonder. Byrne, Robert
I’m so miserable without you, it’s almost like having you here. Bishop, Stephen
It is better to be on hand with ten men, than to be absent with ten thousand.
Tamerlane
Abstinence (Chastity)
Total abstinence is easier than perfect moderation. Augustine, St.
I distrust camels and anyone else who can go a week without a drink.Lewis, Joe E.
Abstinence is a good thing, but it should always be practiced in moderation.
Unknown
Acceptance
It is always well to accept your own shortcomings with candor, but to regard those of your friends with polite incredulity. Lynes, Russell
The art of acceptance is the art of making someone who has just done you a small favor wish that he might have done you a greater one. Lynes, Russell
What cannot be cured must be endured. Rabelais, Francois
Never accept the invitation of a stranger unless he gives you candy.
Festa, Linda
Don’t accept rides from strange men, and remember that all men are strange.
Morgan, Robin
Accustom
Those who deal in onions no longer smell them. Unknown
New faces have more authority than accustomed ones. Euripides
Men become accustomed to poison by degree. Hugo, Victor
Acquaintance
Acquaintance: A person who we know well enough to borrow from but not well enough to lend to. Bierce, Ambrose
New Year’s Eve, where auld acquaintance be forgot. Unless, of course, those tests come back positive. Leno, Jay
Acting and Actors (Hollywood)
Being another character is more interesting than being yourself.
Gielgud, Sir John
Acting: Farting about in disguise. O’Toole, Peter
Only in show business could a guy with a C-minus average be considered an intellectual. Sahl, Mort (of himself)
There are only two types of exercise in Hollywood: jogging and helping a divorced friend move. Wagner, Robert
Give me a couple of years and I will make that actress an overnight success. Goldwyn, Samuel
Acting is the most minor of gifts and not a very high-class way to earn a living. After all, Shirley Temple could do it at the age of four.
Hepburn, Katharine
It is not an accident that an anagram of actors
is scrota.
Hitchcock, Alfred
Some of the greatest love affairs I have known involved one actor, unassisted. Mizner, Wilson
A fan club is a group of people who tell an actor he is not alone in the way he feels about himself. Carson, Jack
Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people from coughing. Richardson, Sir Ralph
The Welsh are all actors, it’s only the bad ones that become professionals. Burton, Richard
Acting is all about honesty. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.
Burns, George
I do twenty minutes every time the refrigerator door opens and the light comes on. Reynolds, Debbie
Show me a great actor and I’ll show you a lousy husband. Show me a great actress, and you’ve seen the devil. Fields, W. C.
Action (Direction, Patience)
Action creates fear; inaction creates terror. Horton, Doug
Action without thought is like shooting without aiming. American Proverb
Those who can – do. Those who cannot – teach. Those who cannot teach become deans. Martin, Thomas L.
Whatever their activity is, the active think they are better. Canetti, Elias
All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action. Lowell, James Russell
Doing nothing on purpose is doing something. Hollis, Martin
Remember it takes 42 muscles to frown and only four to pull the trigger of a decent sniper rifle. Henderson, Mitch
When here is a great cry that something should be done, you can depend on it that something remarkably silly probably will be done. Benn, Tony
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Rogers, Will
Never mistake motion for action. Hemingway, Ernest
Things may come to those who wait…… but only those things left by those who hustle. Lincoln, Abraham
He has half the deed done who has made a beginning. Horace
When you take the bull by the horns….what happens is a toss-up. Ridge, William
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats. Mencken, H. L.
Of course I don’t look busy, I did it right the first time. Adams, Scott
Addiction (Drugs)
I’m a heroine addict. I need to have sex with women who have saved someone’s life. Hedberg, Mitch
Cocaine is God’s silent way of saying you’re making too much money. Williams, Robin
I’ve never had a problem with drugs. I’ve had problems with the police. Richards, Keith
Cocaine isn’t habit forming. I know because I’ve been taking it for years. Bankhead, Tallulah
Admiration (Respect)
Admiration: Our polite recognition of another’s resemblance to ourselves. Bierce, Ambrose
While familiarity may not breed contempt, it takes the edge off admiration. Hazlitt, Henry
A fool always finds a greater fool to admire him. Boileau, Nicolaus
Adolescence (Youth)
Adolescence: A stage between infancy and adultery. Bierce, Ambrose
That period when a boy refuses to believe that someday he’ll be as dumb as his father. Unknown
When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. Twain, Mark
There’s nothing wrong with teenagers that reasoning with them will not aggravate. Kerr, Jean
Remember that as a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you. Lebowitz, Fran
Adult
One who has ceased to grow vertically, but not horizontally. Unknown
The value of marriage is not that adults produce children, but that children produce adults. De Vries, Peter
Adultery
Adultery is the application of democracy to love. Mencken, H. L.
When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her. Guitry, Sacha
There is one thing I would break up over, and that is if she caught me with another woman. I wouldn’t stand for that. Martin, Steve
A man has to do something to relieve the monogamy. Unknown
Eighty percent of married men cheat in America. The rest cheat in Europe. Mason, Jackie
One man’s folly is another man’s wife. Rowland, Helen
Adversity (Problems)
The fatal law of gravity: when you are down everything falls on you.
Warner, Sylvia Townsend
By trying we can easily learn to endue adversity. Another man’s, I mean. Twain, Mark
When you are being kicked from the rear it means that you are in front.
Sheen, Fulton John
Everybody pushes a falling fence. Chinese Proverb
Storms make trees take deeper roots. Parton, Dolly
Advertising
You can fool all of the people all of the time if the advertising is right and the budget is big enough. Levine, Joseph E.
There is no such thing as soft sell
and hard sell.
There is only smart sell
and stupid sell.
Brower, Charles
The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Ogilvy, David (also attributed to Viscount Leverhulme)
Advertising is a valuable economic factor because it is the cheapest way of selling goods, particularly if the goods are worthless. Lewis, Sinclair
Advertisements contain the only truth to be relied on in a newspaper. Jefferson, Thomas
Don’t tell my mother I work in an advertising agency, she thinks I play the piano in a whorehouse. Seguela, Jacques
Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half. Wannamaker, John
Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark: you know what you are doing, but nobody else does. Leacock, Stephen
The fat-free
label isn’t misleading! The fat is free. We only charge for the other ingredients. Unknown
A man loses his dog, so he puts an ad in the paper. And the ad says, Here boy!
Milligan, Spike
No one dares suggest that neon signs blinking the message that Jesus Saves
may be false advertising. Moore, R. Laurence
Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket. Orwell, George
Advice
When you go to a restaurant always choose a table near a waiter.
Jewish Proverb
I can offer lots of advice. Good advice. Advice that’s been passed down from generation to generation and never been used. Monkhouse, Bob
Never put anything on paper, my boy, and never trust a man with a small black moustache. Wodehouse, P. G.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman Where’s the self-help section?
She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
Wright, Steven
Advice after injury is like medicine after death. Danish Proverb
Be yourself is the worst advice you can give to some people. Masson, Tom
Most of us ask for advice when we know the answer but want a different one. Ball, Ivern
Never answer anonymous letters. Berra, Yogi
Don’t monkey with the buzz-saw. American Proverb
To keep the milk from going sour: keep it in the cow. Unknown
Rash: Insensible to the value of our advice. Bierce, Ambrose
Advice, like water, takes the form of the vessel it is poured into. American Proverb
I hate to take advice from some people when I see how bad they need it. Twain, Mark
I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself. Wilde, Oscar
When we seek advice we are usually looking for an accomplice.
Lagrange, Joseph
It takes more wisdom to profit from good advice than to give it.
Collins, John Churton
There is nothing we receive with so much reluctance as advice.
Addison, Joseph
Advice is seldom welcome; and those who want it the most always like it the least. Chesterfield, Lord
Advice is least heeded when most needed. English Proverb
A woman’s advice is not worth much, but he who doesn’t heed it is a fool. Calderon, Pedro
It is always silly to give advice, but to give good advice is absolutely fatal.
Wilde, Oscar
Beware the advice of a poor man. Spanish Proverb
Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties. Aesop
I intended to give you some advice, but now remember how much is left over from last year, unused. Harris, George
Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example. de la Rochefoucauld, Francois
Nobody wants advice – only corroboration. Steinbeck, John
I always advise people never to give advice. Wodehouse, P. G.
Affirmative Action
In South Africa looting is known as affirmative shopping. Unknown
Affirmative action is racism under new management. Sowell, Thomas
Before giving a blood transfusion find out if the blood is affirmative or negative. Unknown
Age (Middle Age)
Age is a high price to pay for maturity. Stoppard, Tom
I recently turned sixty. Practically a third of my life is over.
Allen, Woody
Just when I finally got my head together, my body fell apart. Unknown
A man of sixty has spent twenty years in bed and over three years eating. Bennett, Arnold
Age is strictly a case of mind over matter; if you don’t mind it doesn’t matter. Benny, Jack
If I had known that I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself. Blake, James
You are getting old when the gleam in your eyes is from the sun hitting your bifocals. Burns, George
I smoke ten to fifteen cigars a day. At my age I have to hold on to something. Burns, George
Old vessels must leak. Fuller, Thomas
Inside every older person is a younger person – wondering what the hell happened. Armstrong, Cora Harvey
The years that a woman subtracts from her age are not lost. They are added to the ages of other women. Diane, Countess of Poitiers
When the teeth fall out the tongue wags loose. Arab Proverb
When I was a boy the Dead Sea was only sick. Burns, George
The other day a dog peed on me. A bad sign. Mencken, H. L.
I’m in the prime of senility. Franklin, Benjamin
There’s still no cure for the common birthday. Glenn, John
I was born in 1962. True. And the room next to me was 1963. Rivers, Joan
First thing I do in the morning is breath on the mirror and hope it fogs.
Wynn, Earl
Age considers, youth ventures. Tagore, Rabindranath
I was brought up to respect my elders and now I don’t have to respect anybody. Burns, George
A sexagenarian? At his age? I think that’s disgusting. Allen, Gracie
Alas, after a certain age every man is responsible for his face. Camus, Albert
You’re not old until it takes you longer to rest up than it does to get tired. Allen, Phog
One day you look in the mirror and you realize that the face you are shaving is your father’s. Harris, Robert
When I turned two I was really anxious, because I’d doubled my age in a year. I thought, if this keeps up, by the time I’m six I’ll be ninety.
Wright, Steven
I’m at an age when my back goes out more than I do. Diller, Phyllis
The seven ages of woman are: her own, and six guesses. Unknown
Women age quicker than men, but less often. Unknown
He has a proud respect for old age. Especially when its bottled. Fowler, Gene
In youth we run into difficulties, in old age difficulties run into us.
Sills, Beverly
No man is ever old enough to know better. Jackson, Holbrook
None are so old as have outlived enthusiasm. Thoreau, Henry David
You must begin to be an old man early if you wish to be an old man long. Cicero, Marcus Tullius
I haven’t asked you to make me young again. All I want is to go on getting older. Adenauer, Konrad
I prefer old age to the alternative. Chevalier, Maurice
Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough. Marx, Groucho
We grow old more through indolence than through age.
Christina, Queen of Sweden
My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle. Youngman, Henny
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. Twain, Mark
I’m 65, but if there were 15 months in every year, I’d only be 48.
Thurber, James
I’m so old my blood type is discontinued. Danna, Bill (also attributed to Bob Hope and George William Curtis)
You know you’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoes and wonder what else you can do while you’re down there. Burns, George
Mick Jagger told me the wrinkles on his face were laughter lines, but I told him nothing is that funny. Melly, George
First you forget names, then you forget faces. Next, you forget to pull your zipper up and finally you forget to pull it down. Burns, George
Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young. Roosevelt, Theodore
Two bats were hanging up in a cave and one said to