12 Samuel Langhorne Clemens Quotes on Language

Samuel Langhorne Clemens quotes on language

25. The difference between the right word and the almost right word is really a large matter - it's the difference between a lightning bug and the lightning.

45. A powerful agent is the right word. Whenever we come upon one of those intensely right words in a book or a newspaper the resulting effect is physical as well as spiritual, and electrically prompt.

63. They spell it 'Vinci' and pronounce it 'Vinchy'. Foreigners always spell better than they pronounce.

67. In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.

93. Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is the last you are going to see of him till he emerges on the other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.

135. I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.

167. Every generalization is false, including this one.

170. I have found solace in profanity unexcelled even by prayer.

182. Only presidents, editors and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we'.

189. There are no dialogues, only intersecting monologues.

206. Tomorrow is the yesterday of two days from now.

214. For example, in Year 1 that useless letter 'c' would be dropped to be replased either by 'k' or 's', and likewise 'x' would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which 'c' would be retained would be the 'ch' formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform 'w' spelling, so that 'which' and 'one' would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish 'y' replasing it with 'i' and Iear 4 might fiks the 'g/j' anomali wonse and for all. Jenerally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with Iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and Iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeining voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez 'c', 'y' and 'x' - bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez - tu riplais 'ch', 'sh', and 'th' rispektivli. Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.