Quotes about English

Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison.

We got through all of Genesis and part of Exodus before I left. One of the main things I was taught from this was not to begin a sentence with And . I pointed out that most sentences in the Bible began with And , but I was told that English had changed since the time of King James. In that case, I argued, why make us read the Bible? But it was in vain. Robert Graves was very keen on the symbolism and mysticism in the Bible at that time [Childhood].

An English revolution is at least a solemn sacrifice: a French revolution is an indecent massacre.

The English in politics are as the old Hebrews in religion, a favoured and peculiar people.

Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors.

I'd write of people and places like I knew, and I'd make my characters talk everyday English; and I'd let the sun rise and set in the usual quiet way without much fuss over the fact. If I had to have villains at all, I'd give them a chance, Anne—I'd give them a chance.

How do you tell a valuable French book?' 'First there are the pictures. Then it is a question of the quality of the pictures. Then it is the binding. If a book is good, the owner will have it bound properly. All books in English are bound, but bound badly. There is no way of judging them.

In 1522, William Tyndale began translating the Greek New Testament into English. Tyndale had the audacity to actually translate the term ekklesia rather than superimpose the widely accepted German term kirche. Instead of church, he used the term congregation. If that wasn't offensive enough, the Greek text led him to use elder instead of priest and repent instead of do penance.

I studied philosophy, religious studies, and English. My training was writing four full-length novels and hiring an editor to tear them apart. I had enough money to do that, and then rewriting and rewriting and rewriting.

there are more biographies of Jesus than of any other human—one hundred thousand biographies in English alone.4

Talk English to me, Tommy. Parlez francais avec moi, Nicole. But the meanings are different-- in French you can be heroic and gallant with dignity, and you know it. But in English you can't be heroic and gallant without being a little absurd, and you know that too.

I saw a film today, oh boy.The English army had just won the war.A crowd of people turned away.But I just had to look,Having read the book.I'd love to turn you on.