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Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl Quotes

Novelist

Roald Dahl, born on September 13, 1916, and died on November 23, 1990, was a renowned British children's author. Known for his unique humor and rich imagination, Dahl's works have been beloved by children and adults around the world. His most famous books include 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and 'James and the Giant Peach', which have become household names.

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Famous Roald Dahl Quotes

“Do you like vegetables?" Sophie asked, hoping to steer the conversation towards a slightly less dangerous kind of food. "You is trying to change the subject," the Giant said sternly. "We is having an interesting babblement about the taste of the human bean. The human bean is not a vegetable.”

Trying Humans Kind Said Interesting Subjects Dangerous Taste Conversation Giants Vegetables Beans Steers Sophie Trying To Change

Author:Roald Dahl

“I shall never have a bath again," I said. "Just dont have one too often," my grandmother said. "Once a month is quite enough for a sensible child." It was at times like these that I loved my grandmother more than ever.”

Children Said Enough Months Grandmother Sensible My Grandmother Baths Times Like These

Author:Roald Dahl

“I'm wondering what to read next." Matilda said. "I've finished all the children's books.”

Children Said Book Next Wonder Finished Children's Books

Book:Matilda

Source: Matilda

“Well not exactly," the father said."Nobody could do that. but it didn't take me long.”

Wells Long Said Father Take Me

Book:Matilda

Source: Matilda

“Here it is,' Nigel said. Mrs D, Mrs I, Mrs FFI, Mrs C, Mrs U, Mrs LTY. That spells difficulty.' How perfectly ridiculous!' snorted Miss Trunchbull. 'Why are all these women married?”

Said Missing Married Difficulty Ridiculous Spells

Book:Matilda

Source: Matilda

“Matilda said, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable.”

Ifs Want Said Whole Half Crazy Get Away Unbelievable Outrageous Hog Children Book

Book:Matilda

Source: Matilda

“Hooray!" said the Chief of the Army. "Let's blow everyone up! Bang-bang! Bang-bang!”

Said Army Blow Chiefs Bangs

Book:Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Source: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

“I therefore invite you all," Mr Fox went on, 'to stay here with me for ever.' For ever!' they cried. 'My goodness! How marvellous!' And Rabbit said to Mrs Rabbit, 'My dear, just think! We're never going to be shot again in our lives!' We will make,' said Mr Fox, 'a little underground village, with streets and houses on each side - seperate houses for Badgers and Moles and Rabbits and Weasels and Foxes. And every day I will go shopping for you all. And every day we will eat like kings.' The cheering that followed this speech went on for many minutes.”

Thinking Littles Said House Sides Our Lives Streets Minutes Kings Speech Goodness Shots Dear Village Cheer Invites Shopping Cried Foxes Rabbits Marvellous Moles Weasels Badgers

Author:Roald Dahl

“Words," he said, "is oh such a twitch-tickling problem to me all my life.”

Said Problem Tickling

Book:The BFG

Source: The BFG

“My darling," she said at last, are you sure you don't mind being a mouse for the rest of your life?" "I don't mind at all" I said. It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like as long as somebody loves you.”

Mind Looks Long Said Matter Lasts Love You Who You Are Mice Rest Of Your Life Darling

Book:The Witches

Source: The Witches

“You seemed so far away," Miss Honey whispered, awestruck. "Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings," Matilda said. "It was wonderful.”

Said Past Stars Wonderful Missing Wings Flying Silver Honey Far Away Awestruck

Book:Matilda

Source: Matilda

“There are many other little refinements too, Mr. Bohlen. You'll see them all when you study the plans carefully. For example, there's a trick that nearly every writer uses, of inserting at least one long, obscure word into each story. This makes the reader think that the man is very wise and clever. So I have the machine do the same thing. There'll be a whole stack of long words stored away just for this purpose." Where?" In the 'word-memory' section," he said, epexegetically.”

Thinking Men Littles Long Said Whole Stories Use Purpose Memories Study Wise Plans Example Reader Machines Clever Tricks Obscure Sections Refinement Very Wise Long Words

Book:Collected Stories

Source: Collected Stories

“Poor Earthworm,' the Ladybird said, whispering in James's ear. 'He loves to make everything into a disaster. He hates to be happy. He is only happy when he is gloomy.”

Said Hate Poor Ears Disaster Whispering Gloomy

Author:Roald Dahl

“My dear young fellow,' the Old-Green-Grasshopper said gently, 'there are a whole lot of things in this world of ours you haven't started wondering about yet.”

World Said Whole Young Wonder Havens This World Fellows Green Dear Trying New Things Grasshoppers Intellectual Curiosity

Author:Roald Dahl

“Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if I sink on the way over? What if I meet pirates? What if I never come back?' He wouldn't even have started.”

Ifs Way Said America What If Pirate Columbus

Book:Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Source: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

“Meanings is not important, said the BFG. I cannot be right all the time. Quite often I is left instead of right.”

Said Important Left

Book:The BFG

Source: The BFG

“We is in Dream Country,' the BFG said. 'This is where all dreams is beginning.”

Said Country Dream

Book:The BFG

Source: The BFG

“A girl should think about making herself look attractive so she can get a good husband later on. Looks is more important than books, Miss Hunky..." "The name is Honey," Miss Honey said. "Now look at me," Mrs Wormwood said. "Then look at you. You chose books. I chose looks.”

Thinking Should Looks Said Important Book Girl Names Missing Husband Attractive Honey Look At Me Good Husband Wormwood

Book:Matilda

Source: Matilda

“I is reading it hundreds of times,' the BFG said. 'And I is still reading it and teaching new words to myself and how to write them. It is the most scrumdiddlyumptious story.' Sophie took the book out of his hand. 'Nicholas Nickleby,' she read aloud. 'By Dahl's Chickens,' the BFG said.”

Writing Said Stills Book Stories Hands Reading Teaching Chickens Sophie New Words

Book:The BFG

Source: The BFG

“He turned and reached behind him for the chocolate bar, then he turned back again and handed it to Charlie. Charlie grabbed it and quickly tore off the wrapper and took an enormous bite. Then he took another…and another…and oh, the joy of being able to cram large pieces of something sweet and solid into one's mouth! The sheer blissful joy of being able to fill one's mouth with rich solid food! 'You look like you wanted that one, sonny,' the shopkeeper said pleasantly. Charlie nodded, his mouth bulging with chocolate.”

Looks Said Able Wanted Joy Behinds Rich Pieces Sweet Like You Mouths Bars Enormous Chocolate Bites Sheer Charlie Back Again Shopkeepers Chocolate Bars Something Sweet

Author:Roald Dahl

“Well, first of all," said the BFG, "human beans is not really believing in giants, is they? Human beans is not thinking we exist.”

Thinking Firsts Believe Humans Wells Said Giants Beans

Book:The BFG

Source: The BFG

“The secret of life', he said, 'is to become very very good at somethin' that's very very 'ard to do.”

Said Secret Very Good Secret Life

Book:The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Source: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

“I've always said to myself that if a little pocket calculator can do it why shouldn't I?”

Ifs Littles Said Can Do Believe In Yourself Pockets Counting Calculations Trust Yourself Screenwriters Calculating Calculators

Book:Matilda

Source: Matilda

“You mean you live down here?' Matilda asked. 'I do', Miss Honey replied, but she said no more. Matilda had never once stopped to think about where Miss Honey might be living. She had always regarded her purely as a teacher, a person who turned up out of nowhere and taught at school and then went away again.”

Thinking Mean Persons Said Might School Teacher Missing Taught Honey

Author:Roald Dahl

About the Author

Born: September 13, 1916
Died: November 23, 1990
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 248

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Books & Sources

Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryRelated source material

Boy: Tales of ChildhoodRelated source material

MatildaRelated source material

The BFGRelated source material

Charlie and the Great Glass ElevatorRelated source material

James and the Giant PeachRelated source material

The Missing Golden Ticket and Other Splendiferous SecretsRelated source material

The TwitsRelated source material

The WitchesRelated source material

Going SoloRelated source material

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