Noel Coward Quotes

Quotes about:

• It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.

  Noel Coward

  Honesty, Lying, People

  Noel Coward (1979). “Plays, four”, Methuen Drama

  80 Copy quote

• A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin then waving it in the general direction of Italy.

  Noel Coward

  Glasses, Perfect, Martini

  "The Martini: the epitome of cocktail-hour refinement" by Henry Jeffreys, www.theguardian.com. June 5, 2015.

  55 Copy quote

• Work hard, do the best you can, don't ever lose faith in yourself and take no notice of what other people say about you.

  Noel Coward

  Hard Work, People, Faith In Yourself

  48 Copy quote

• Never trust a man with short legs. His brains are too near his bottom.

  Noel Coward

  Funny, Humor, Men

  36 Copy quote

• You will know you're old when you cease to be amazed.

  Noel Coward

  Age, Amazed, Cease

  38 Copy quote

• My importance to the world is relatively small. On the other hand, my importance to myself is tremendous. I am all I have to work with, to play with, to suffer and to enjoy. It is not the eyes of others that I am wary of, but of my own. I do not intend to let myself down more than I can possibly help, and I find that the fewer illusions I have about myself or the world around me, the better company I am for myself.

  Noel Coward

  War, Eye, Hands

  "Personal Quotes/ Biography". www.imdb.com.

  37 Copy quote

• Familiarity breeds contempt, but without a little familiarity it's impossible to breed anything.

  Noel Coward

  Sex, Littles, Impossible

  20 Copy quote

• I love criticism just so long as it's unqualified praise.

  Noel Coward

  Funny, Humor, Long

  58 Copy quote

• Consider the public. Never fear it nor despise it. Coax it, charm it, interest it, stimulate it, shock it now and then if you must, make it laugh, make it cry, but above all never, never, never bore the living hell out of it.

  Noel Coward

  Laughing, Theatre, Cry

  Noel Coward, Barry Day (2009). “The Essential Noël Coward Compendium: The Very Best of His Work, Life and Times”, p.73, A&C Black

  49 Copy quote

• Grab it while you can — grab every scrap of happiness while you can

  Noel Coward

  Scrap

  Noel Coward (1952). “Play Parade”

  24 Copy quote

• It's never too early for a cocktail.

  Noel Coward

  Cocktails

  Noel Coward (1952). “Play Parade”

  8 Copy quote

• Why do I drink Champagne for breakfast? Doesn't everyone?

  Noel Coward

  Drinking, Breakfast, Champagne

  23 Copy quote

• It is my considered opinion that the human race (soi disant) is cruel, idiotic, sentimental, predatory, ungrateful, ugly, conceited and egocentric to the last ditch and that the occasional discovery of an isolated exception is as deliciously surprising as finding a sudden brazil nut in what you know to be five pounds of vanilla creams. These glorious moments, although not making life actually worth living, perhaps, at least make it pleasanter.

  Noel Coward

  Conceited, Discovery, Nuts

  Noel Coward (2008). “The Letters of Noel Coward”, p.39, Vintage

  39 Copy quote

• Conceit is an outward manifestation of inferiority.

  Noel Coward

  Inferiority, Conceit, Manifestation

  9 Copy quote

• Having to read footnotes resembles having to go downstairs to answer the door while in the midst of making love.

  Noel Coward

  Doors, Making Love, Answers

  12 Copy quote

• Criticism and Bolshevism have one thing in common. They both seek to pull down that which they could never build.

  Noel Coward

  Criticism, Common, One Thing

  9 Copy quote

• Extraordinary how potent cheap music is.

  Noel Coward

  Music, Work, Extraordinary

  'Private Lives' (1930) act 1

  10 Copy quote

• People are wrong when they say opera is not what it used to be. It is what it used to be. That is what's wrong with it.

  Noel Coward

  Funny, Humorous, People

  Design for Living act 3, sc. 1 (1932)

  12 Copy quote

• Just say the lines and don't trip over the furniture.

  Noel Coward

  Journey, Acting, Literature

  Quoted in Dick Richards, The Wit of Noel Coward (1968). According to Richards, Coward said this during the run of his play Nude with Violin (1956 - 1957). See Fontanne 1

  18 Copy quote

• We have no reliable guarantee that the afterlife will be any less exasperating than this one, have we?

  Noel Coward

  Death, Suicide, Guarantees That

  Noel Coward (1965). “Three plays by Noel Coward: Blithe spirit, Hay fever [and] Private lives”

  11 Copy quote

• Work is much more fun than fun.

  Noel Coward

  Inspirational, Fun, Work

  56 Copy quote

• Thousands of people have talent. I might as well congratulate you for having eyes in your head. The one and only thing that counts is: Do you have staying power?

  Noel Coward

  Eye, Power, People

  24 Copy quote

• Wit ought to be a glorious treat like caviar; never spread it about like marmalade.

  Noel Coward

  Witty, Writing, Caviar

  90 Copy quote

• Many years ago I remember a famous actress explaining to me with perfect seriousness that before making an entrance she always stood aside to allow God to go on first. I can also remember that on that particular occasion He gave a singularly uninspired performance.

  Noel Coward

  Funny, Humorous, Years

  10 Copy quote

• Television is for appearing on, not looking at.

  Noel Coward

  Television, Appearing

  Noel Coward (2008). “The Letters of Noel Coward”, p.585, Vintage

  28 Copy quote

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