Pithy Quotes

• Pithy sentences are like sharp nails which force truth upon our memory.

  Denis Diderot

  Memories, Literature, Nails

  "A Dictionary of Thoughts : Being a Cyclopedia of Laconic Quotations". Book by Tryon Edwards, 1908.

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• The wisdom of nations lies in their proverbs,
  which are brief and pithy.

  William Penn

  Inspirational, Lying, Brighten Your Day

  William Penn (1782). “The Select Works of William Penn....”, p.448

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• The wisdom of nations lies in their proverbs, which are brief and pithy. Collect and learn them; they are notable measures of directions for human life; you have much in little; they save time in speaking; and upon occasion may be the fullest and safest answer.

  William Penn

  Lying, Answers, May

  William Penn (1782). “The Select Works of William Penn....”, p.448

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• Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana

  Groucho Marx

  Funny, Birthday, Time

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• A grave, wherever found, preaches a short and pithy sermon to the soul.

  Nathaniel Hawthorne

  Soul, Graves, Found

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• If I were called upon to identify briefly the principal trait of the entire 20th century... I would be unable to find anything more precise and pithy than to repeat once again: Men have forgotten God.

  Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

  Christian, Religious, Men

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• The Americans, who are the most efficient people on the earth, have carried [phrase-making] to such a height of perfection and have invented so wide a range of pithy and hackneyed phrases that they can carry on an amusing and animated conversation without giving a moment’s reflection to what they are saying and so leave their minds free to consider the more important matters of big business and fornication.

  W. Somerset Maugham

  Funny, Reflection, People

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• I do love poop. I can't help it. The heart wants what it wants. I enjoy being clever and pithy and political, but nothing's going to get me like dumb stuff.

  Sarah Silverman

  Clever, Heart, Political

  Source: www.ericspitznagel.com

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• Mathematicians deal with large numbers sometimes, but never in their income.

  Isaac Asimov

  Math, Numbers, Income

  Isaac Asimov (2012). “Prelude to Foundation”, p.25, Spectra

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• Speaking of Twitter, I don't even know if I composed a blog entry in 2009, as I was too busy parceling my every thought into cute 140-character sound bites. I used to only worry about being pithy for a living; now some of my best lines are wasted on a free app!

  Diablo Cody

  Cute, Character, Worry

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• What's really important here," I whispered loudly to myself,"is not the big things other people have thought up, but the small things you, yourself have

  Haruki Murakami

  People, Important, Bigs

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• We took a bus to the nearby monastery of one of the last great Tang dynasty Chan masters, Yun-men. Yun-men was known for his pithy 'one word' Zen. When asked 'What is the highest teaching of the Buddha?' he replied: 'An appropriate statement.' On another occasion, he answered: 'Cake.' I admired his directness.

  Stephen Batchelor

  Teaching, Men, Cake

  Stephen Batchelor (2010). “Confession of a Buddhist Atheist”, p.89, Spiegel & Grau

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• Speech is highly elliptical. It would scarcely be endurable otherwise. Ellipsis is indispensable to the writer or speaker who wants to be brief and pithy, but it can easily cause confusion and obscurity and must be used with skill.

  Bergen Evans

  Writing, Skills, Confusion

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• This is exactly how the World Wide Web works: the HTML files are the pithy description on the paper tape, and your Web browser is Ronald Reagan.

  Neal Stephenson

  Html, Tape, World

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• I stared up at the Erlking, and with my typical pithy brilliance said, "Uh-oh.

  Jim Butcher

  Typical, Harry Dresden, Said

  Jim Butcher (2010). “Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files”, p.240, Penguin

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• There is an old Italian proverb about the nature of translation: "Traddutore, traditore!" This means simply, "Translators-traitors!" Of course, as you can see, something is lost in the translation of this pithy expression: there is great similarity in both the spelling and the pronunciation of the original saying, but these get diluted once they are put in English dress. Even the translation of this proverb illustrates its truth!

  Daniel Wallace

  Mean, Biblical, Italian

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• Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea.

  Jack Kerouac

  Eye, Swimming, Sea

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• We communicated with pithy, rather monosyllabic thoughts: viz. Run, Jump, Where? Left, Up, Duck, ect. (This latter was an observation I made on the edge of a lake. Nathaniel unfortunately took it as a command, which resulted in our temporary immersion.) We didn't ever quite say Ug, but it was a close-run thing.

  Jonathan Stroud

  Running, Lakes, Ducks

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• Unrequited love," I'd say. He'd look at me sideways in that cunning way he did and say, "what about it?" and I'd reply, "it's not your color." Pithy. Just to show him that I'd noticed. Or maybe I'd show myself to her and say, "Guess I'm not the only one who uses humans around here." And then I'd summon some of Owain's hounds to chew off the bottom bits of her legs. Then she wouldn't fit just right into his arms. She'd be too short. It'd be like hugging a midget. Nuala- pg. 75

  Maggie Stiefvater

  Unrequited Love, Color, Hug

  Maggie Stiefvater (2010). “Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie”, p.82, North Star Editions, Inc.

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• Booker T. Jones sounds more pithy and forceful than ever on “Potato Hole”…Mr. Jones still jabs terse, unhurried melodies that sound as if he knows the lyrics but would never tell. Where the M.G.’s suavely underplayed their aggression, the rockers’ multiple-guitar attack, with distortion and feedback, gives the music teeth.

  Jon Pareles

  Guitar, Giving, Sound

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• Quinn Cummings is a master story-teller and her book is nothing short of delightful. Her insights into topics like celebrity, parenting, and cats with a taste for homicide are pithy and uproarious and not to be missed. Notes from the Underwire is charming, hilarious, and just snarky enough to be ultimately satisfying.

  Jen Lancaster

  Book, Cat, Taste

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• First, there was Confucius. Then, the sayings of Chairman Mao. And now the pithy, ironic, and humorous insights of Ai Weiwei. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection, which reflects a well-developed philosophy as well as a keen understanding of the Chinese Communist system. This is China made easy and interesting.

  Jerome A. Cohen

  Philosophy, Reading, Humorous

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