Quotations about Words
Using Quotations in a Speech or Text about Words
As well as keeping your audience engaged, adding quotations to a speech or a text can significantly enhance its impact and effectiveness. Quotations are useful for explaining complex ideas concisely, much in the same way that analogies are used. Additionally, quotations from experts or celebrities can add credibility to your message.Here are some funny and poignant quotations about words. If your speech is serious, do not automatically avoid funny quotations as they can often be the most impactful, forcing your audience into the thinking about the hidden analogous message in your selected quotation.
- "Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious." (British actor Peter Ustinov)
- "When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth." (Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw)
"I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying." Oscar Wilde (Irish dramatist and poet, 1854-1900)
"I like the sound of my own voice, but sometimes the words coming out of my mouth are a surprise even to me." Anon
"Words are like underwear. You should change them every day, but some people prefer to wear the same ones for a week." Anon
"Words are like *toothpaste.*teeth.*cats.* Once they're out, you can't put them back in." Anon
"I have a way with words, but sometimes I wish I had a way with people." Anon
"Words are like clothes. You have to choose the right ones for the occasion, or you'll end up looking like a fool." Anon
"I have a fear of running out of words, so I always carry *a thesaurus*a teenager*my mother* with me. It's my word insurance policy." Anon
"Je n'ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n'ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte." (Translated in the next quotation) Blaise Pascal (French mathematician and philosopher, 1623-1662)
"I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter. " Blaise Pascal (French mathematician and philosopher, 1623-1662)
"Words are free. It's how you use them that may cost you." Anon
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will always hurt me." Anon
"I'm a writer, I put things in words that other people put in thoughts." Anon
"The most beautiful words in the English language are not 'I love you' but 'It's benign'." Woody Allen (American film director, writer, and actor, 1935-)
"Serendipity means searching for a needle in a haystack and instead finding a farmer's daughter." Anon
"It depends on what the meaning of *'is'*'sex'*'relationship'* is." Bill Clinton (American Democratic statesman, 1946-) to the grand jury when questioned in relation to Monica Lewinsky
"Words are like keys, if you choose them right, they can open any heart and shut any mouth." Anon
"Words are like a *boomerang.*lost dog.*river.* They'll come back to you sooner or later." Anon
"Words are powerful, they can make you laugh, cry, or fall in love, but they can also make you regret everything you've ever said." Anon
"I talk to myself because sometimes I need expert advice." Anon
"I love the smell of words in the morning." Anon
"Words are like weapons. Use them wisely, or you may end up shooting yourself in the foot." Anon
"Euphemisms are unpleasant truths wearing diplomatic cologne." Quentin Crisp (English writer, 1908-99)
"I had always assumed that Cliche was a suburb of Paris, until I discovered it to be a street in Oxford." Philip Guedalla (British historian and biographer, 1889-1944)
"Words are chameleons, which reflect the colour of their environment." Learned Hand (American judge, 1872-1961)
"I understand your new play is full of single entendre." George S. Kaufman (American dramatist, 1889-1961)
"The trouble with words is that you never know whose mouth they've been in." Dennis Potter (English television dramatist, 1935-94)
"By hard, honest labour I've dug all the large words out of my vocabulary...I never write metropolis for seven cents because I can get the same money for city. I never write policeman, because I can get the same money for cop." Mark Twain (American writer, 1835-1910)
Thinking Template for a Speech or Text on Words
Below are 3 funny themes and 3 serious themes related to words. These have been included to help you identify areas to explore.Funny Themes:
- Wordplay Wonders: The Funniest Puns and Clever Quips
- Share amusing anecdotes or stories about clever wordplay, including puns, spoonerisms, and witty quips that showcase the humorous power of language.
- Linguistic Lapses: The Most Entertaining Language Blunders
- Explore humorous language mistakes or miscommunications, discussing funny slips of the tongue, translation fails, or misheard phrases.
- Vocabulary Ventriloquism: The Art of Making Words Speak
- Discuss comical examples of giving words new meanings or using them in unexpected contexts, highlighting the playful side of language manipulation.
Serious Themes:
- The Power of Words: Influence, Impact, and Responsibility
- Explore the profound impact words can have on society, discussing how language shapes thoughts, influences behavior, and carries immense responsibility.
- Etymology and History: The Origins and Evolution of Language
- Discuss the etymology of words, exploring the historical origins and evolution of language and how it reflects cultural changes and technological advancements.
- Language and Identity: Expression, Culture, and Personal Connection
- Address how words and language form a crucial part of personal and cultural identity, discussing the role of language in expressing group and individual identity.
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