Quotes about Expression

His faith wavered, but not his speech: it is the lot of every man who has to speak for the satisfaction of the crowd, that he must often speak in virtue of yesterday's faith, hoping it will come back to-morrow.

our tongues are little triggers which have usually been pulled before general intentions can be brought to bear.

I suppose one reason why we are seldom able to comfort our neighbours with our words is that our goodwill gets adulterated, in spite of ourselves, before it can pass our lips. We can send black pudding and pettitoes without giving them a flavour of our own egoism; but language is a stream that is almost sure to smack of a mingled soil.

so much that seems to me a consecration of ugliness rather than beauty.

I have a hyperbolical tongue: it catches fire as it goes. I dare say I shall have to retract.

There is correct English: that is not slang. I beg your pardon: correct English is the slang of prigs who write history and essays. And the strongest slang of all is the slang of poets.

Brevity is justified at once to those who readily understand, and to those who will never understand.

Oh, mother," said Maggie, in a vehemently cross tone, "I don't want to do my patchwork." "What! not your pretty patchwork, to make a counterpane for your aunt Glegg?" "It's foolish work," said Maggie, with a toss of her mane,—"tearing things to pieces to sew 'em together again.

I like not only to be loved, but also to be told I am loved.

Women are a key part of the sound of the groups that accompany male singers like Kirk Franklin, Israel Houghton, and myself.

If you join a choir, it's a wonderful outlet.

The words of my book nothing, the drift of it everything.