Ogden Nash Quotes

Poet

Ogden Nash was an American poet known for his witty and humorous poetry. His works are characterized by their clever wordplay and satire, and have been beloved by readers.

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Famous Ogden Nash Quotes

“The only incurable troubles of the rich are the troubles that money can't cure, Which is a kind of trouble that is even more troublesome if you are poor.”

Ifs Kind Poor Rich Trouble Adversity Cures Troublesome

Book:The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

Source: The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

“A lady wants to be dressed exactly like everybody else but she gets pretty up- set if she sees anybody else dressed exactly like her.”

Ifs Want Like Her

Author:Ogden Nash

“One would be in less danger From the wiles of the stranger If one's own kin and kith Were more fun to be with.”

Ifs Would Be Fun Family Danger Stranger

Author:Ogden Nash

“If some confectioners were willing To let the shape announce the filling, We'd encounter fewer assorted chocs, Bitten into and returned to the box.”

Ifs Willing Shapes Boxes Encounters Chocolate Fewer Filling Assorted

Book:Good intentions

Source: Good intentions

“If you are really Master of your Fate, it shouldn't make any difference to you whether Cleopatra or the Bearded Lady is your mate.”

Ifs Differences Marriage Wife Fate Masters Mates

Book:The Selected Verse of Ogden Nash

Source: The Selected Verse of Ogden Nash

“A bird in the open never looks Like its picture in the birdie books - Or if it once did, it has changed its plumage, And plunges you back into ignorant gloomage.”

Ifs Looks Book Changed Bird Ignorant Plunge

Author:Ogden Nash

“If called by a panther, don't anther.”

Ifs Advice Panthers

Book:The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

Source: The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

“The more you earn, the less you keep, And now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to take, If the tax-collector hasn't got it before I wake.”

Ifs Soul Sleep Lord Praying Taxes Lays My Soul I Pray Collectors Tax Day Abracadabra

Book:The primrose path

Source: The primrose path

“The moral is that it is probably better not to sin at all, but if some kind of sin you must be pursuing, Well, remember to do it by doing rather than by not doing.”

Ifs Wells Kind Remember Sin Moral

Book:The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

Source: The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

“The doctor gets you when you're born, The preacher, when you marry, And the lawyer lurks with costly clerks If too much on you carry. Professional men, they have no cares; Whatever happens, they get theirs.”

Ifs Men Happens Care Born Too Much Doctors Lawyer Preacher Whatever Happens Clerks

Author:Ogden Nash

“The oboe's a horn made of wood. I'd play you a tune if I could, But the reeds are a pain, And the fingering's insane. It's the ill wind that no one blows good.”

Ifs Made Play Pain Wind Ill Blow Woods Insane If I Could Tunes Horns Reeds Oboes

Author:Ogden Nash

“You can take it as understood, That your luck changes only if it's good.”

Ifs Inspiration Change Understood Luck

Book:The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

Source: The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

“If you don't want to work, you have to work to earn enough money so that you won't have to work.”

Ifs Want Enough Funny Work Money Crazy Silly

Book:The Selected Verse of Ogden Nash

Source: The Selected Verse of Ogden Nash

“The Pig, if I am not mistaken, Supplies us sausage, ham, and Bacon. Let others say his heart is big, I think it stupid of the Pig.”

Ifs Thinking Heart Bigs Fun Stupid Pigs Mistaken Supplies Ham Sausage

Book:The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

Source: The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

“I drink because she nags, she said I nag because he drinks. But if the truth be known to you, He's a lush and she's a shrew.”

Ifs Said Known Drink Truth Is Drinking Lush Shrews

Author:Ogden Nash

“There is one fault that I must find With the twentieth century. And I'll put it in a couple of words; Too adventury. What I'd like would be some nice dull monotony If anyone's gotony.”

Ifs Would Be Nice Century Couple Faults Drinking Dull Twentieth Century Monotony Some Nice

Book:Good intentions

Source: Good intentions

“So I hope husbands and wives will continue to debate and combat Over everything debatable and combatable Because I believe a little incompatibility is the spice of life Particularly if he has income and she is pattable.”

Ifs Believe Littles I Believe Wife Husband Debate Income Combat Spices Husband And Wife Funny Marriage Incompatibility Spice Of Life

Author:Ogden Nash

“Maybe I couldn't be dafter, But I keep wondering if this time we settle our differences before a war instead of after.”

Ifs War Time Differences Wonder Settling

Author:Ogden Nash

“Dogs display reluctance and wrath If you try to give them a bath. They bury bones in hideaways And half the time they trot sideaways.”

Ifs Giving Trying Time Half Dog Bones Display Wrath Baths Reluctance

Book:The Selected Verse of Ogden Nash

Source: The Selected Verse of Ogden Nash

“I hope my tongue in prune juice smothers, If I belittle dogs and mothers.”

Ifs Mother Inspiring Dog Tongue Juice Mothers Day Belittle Prunes

Author:Ogden Nash

“Abracadabra, thus we learn The more you create, the less you earn. The less you earn, the more you're given, The less you lead, the more you're driven, The more destroyed, the more they feed, The more you pay, the more they need, The more you earn, the less you keep, And now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to take If the tax-collector hasn't got it before I wake.”

Ifs Needs Soul Politics Given Sleep Pay Lord Praying Taxes Lays Driven Destroyed My Soul I Pray Collectors Abracadabra

Book:The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

Source: The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden Nash

About the Author

Born: August 19, 1902
Died: March 19, 1971
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 208

Books & Sources

The face is familiar: the selected verse of Ogden NashRelated source material

The Selected Verse of Ogden NashRelated source material

Good intentionsRelated source material

The primrose pathRelated source material

Many long years agoRelated source material

Happy DaysRelated source material

The bad parents' garden of verseRelated source material

Hard linesRelated source material

I'm a Stranger Here MyselfRelated source material

Ogden Nash's zooRelated source material

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