Best British Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 14

“The British happened to the rest of the world. Now the world happens to Britain.”

“Pitt the Younger was a great British Prime Minister. He saved Europe from Napoleon, he was the pilot who weathered the storm. I don't know whether he'd have done it any better or quicker had he been married.”

Knows Done Married Europe British Storm Saved Ministers Prime Pilots Prime Minister Weathered

Author:Edward Heath

“A genial and cultured Arab, Ameen Rihani, whose English is perfect and whose eloquence is astounding. He will discuss with equal eagerness and knowledge the merits of Picasso or Van Gogh, or the Zionist question, or the British achievements in Arabia.”

Perfect Equal Achievement British Merit Vans Eloquence Arabia Zionist Eagerness

Author:Kenneth Williams

“The British press has an insatiable appetite for making public things that should be private. It's a prurience that I've never understood.”

Should Understood Presses British Appetite Insatiable

Author:Niall Ferguson

“President Obama hosted a state dinner for British Prime Minister David Cameron. The president and the British are getting along a lot better lately. They love to compare notes on ways the Tea Party's always trying to overthrow their rule in America.”

Way Trying States America President Party Notes Dinner British Tea Compare Ministers Prime President Obama Prime Minister Always Trying Tea Party Cameron Getting Along

Author:Argus Hamilton

“I'm English and I am British. I don't know if I feel part of a music scene. Musically, I have as many feelings and affinity with Americans or Canadians, or all sorts of people as I do with English people.”

People Ifs Knows Feels Feelings Scene British Affinity

Author:David Gilmour

“You can say "ass," but you can't say "asshole." That's why I always cringe when a character in a TV show refers to someone as an "ass." Unless you're British, calling someone an ass really doesn't work. But those are the rules of television. You can be a dirtbag, but not a scumbag.”

Character Shows Television Tvs Calling British Ass Tv Shows Cringe Scumbags Calling Someone Dirtbags

Author:Gilbert Gottfried

“In the past, people couldn't place me. They thought that I was Danish or English or French. They never got that I am Italian. I'm not typical, maybe because my visual education was very mixed. There was a lot of London in my aesthetic: The Face, i-D, British music, and a lot of British fashion . . . But I really enjoy this contrast.”

People Past Faces Enjoy Fashion British London Visuals Italian Aesthetic Contrast Typical Danish British Music

Author:Italo Zucchelli

“Americans and British respondents don't want to let the German people off the hook. They make the case that if you get rid of Hitler, some other leader apart from Hitler would have emerged and, because of the structural constant of German nationalism, would have exploited German national feeling and produce the same kind of events no matter what.”

People Ifs Want Kind Matter Feelings Leader Cases Events Produce No Matter What Constant British Nationalism Hook

Author:Gavriel David Rosenfeld

“Kenya is rapidly developing its industry and manufacturing, and its cultural identity as a new country. We had a humongous history pre-British, and when we were colonized and violently reshuffled, we had to decide who we were again. We couldn't rest on the stories and the cultures of our great-grandparents.”

Country Stories Culture Identity Industry British Developing Grandparent Manufacturing Kenya Great Grandparents Cultural Identity

Author:Wangechi Mutu

“A British lawyer would like to think of himself as part of that mysterious entity called The Law; an American lawyer would like a swimming pool and two houses.”

Thinking Two Law House British Lawyer Mysterious Swimming Pool Entity Swimming Pool

Author:Simon Hoggart

“It was part of your religion to hate the British.”

Hate British

Book:Rebecca Harding Davis: Writing Cultural Autobiography

Source: Rebecca Harding Davis: Writing Cultural Autobiography

“The news that Osama Bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world. Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities the world has seen - for 9/11 and for so many attacks, which have cost thousands of lives, many of them British.”

People World Worst Cost News Responsible British Terrorist Relief Bin Laden Atrocities Osama Bin Laden

Author:David Cameron

“The spring of 1942 was given over to a very impassioned, strategic debate about where we should first attack in counterpunching against the Germans and Italians. The British argued very persuasively on the part of Winston Churchill, prime minister, that this was a very green American Army, green soldiers, green commanders.”

Should Firsts Given Spring Army Green Soldier British Debate Ministers Prime Prime Minister Strategic Commanders Impassioned American Army

Author:Rick Atkinson

“Through its imperialist system Britain brought about untold suffering of millions of people. And this is an historical fact. To be able to admit this would increase the respect, you know, which we have for British institutions.”

People Knows Facts Able Suffering Millions Increase Institutions Historical British Britain Historical Facts

Author:Nelson Mandela

“Since the introduction of inanimate mechanism into British manufactories, man, with few exceptions, has been treated as a secondary and inferior machine; and far more attention has been given to perfect the raw materials of wood and metals than those of body and mind.”

Source: Essays on the Formation of the Human Character

“The British are the last national group who can be insulted by Hollywood without any comeback. These days if you depict Italians as gangsters, Saudis as terrorists or Mexicans as violent drug dealers you'll never hear the end of it. But as still the largest - and possibly the richest - ethnic group in the States, the British just have to take it.”

Ifs Stills Ends States Lasts Groups Drug Hollywood British Terrorist Violent These Days Comeback Dealer Gangsters Saudis Insulted Drug Dealers Ethnic Groups

Author:Simon Hoggart

“If you read the 'Daily Mail,' you would imagine that the British middle classes lead lives of unremitting misery.”

Ifs Class Imagine Middle Misery British Middle Class Mail Imagine That Daily Mail

Author:Simon Hoggart

“British diplomats who worked in Iran during the 1980 hostage crisis are deeply upset by Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning film 'Argo,' which suggests they refused shelter to the group who managed to get out of the U.S. embassy.”

Film Winning Groups Crisis British Upset Iran Shelter Oscars Hostage Diplomats Embassy Argo Hostage Crisis

Author:Simon Hoggart

“I had a lot of anger against the way things 'should be done' - conforming to social norms, ticking boxes to gain acceptance. Frustration at the pointlessness and predictability of smalltalk. Oh and a lot of anger about tea, which the British seem to use to avoid actually saying anything.”

Way Should Done Use Seems Social Acceptance Gains Boxes British Tea Frustration Conform Norm Social Norms Predictability Pointlessness

Author:Rupert Friend

“I was not seduced by the celebrity side of acting. However, as a British girl watching a lot of American TV, I saw that there was a whole world of opportunity in the States that I wanted to discover.”

World States Whole Wanted Girl Opportunity Sides Acting Saws Tvs British Whole World

Author:Carmen Ejogo

“A lot of British actors will look at America as a land of opportunity. In England, there's such a small pool of working actors of color. There's such a small amount of work that is actually produced in the first place.”

Firsts Looks America Actors Opportunity Land Color Amount England British Pool Small Amounts Land Of Opportunity

Author:Aml Ameen

“If Bush had read all the documents about the Russians and British in Afghanistan in the 19th century, he would have not done what he did in the 21st. He would have understood how difficult it was to control this territory. He probably didn't read them.”

Ifs Done Difficult Century Understood British Territory Afghanistan Documents 19th Century

Author:Umberto Eco

“I would like a UK fully engaged in Europe, but I can't decide in place of the British. I see that for the moment they want to be more in retreat.”

Want I Can Moments Europe British Engaged Retreat

Author:Francois Hollande

“The British have been particularly shy about the issues of financial regulation, and attentive only to the interests of the City - hence their reluctance to see the introduction of a tax on financial transactions and tax harmonisation in Europe.”

Has Beens Interest Cities Issues Taxes Europe Financial British Shy Regulation Introduction Transactions Reluctance Financial Regulation

Author:Francois Hollande

“I guess the most surprising discovery was how long Gandhi remained loyal to the ideal of the British Empire, even in India.”

Long Discovery Ideals India British Empires Surprising Loyal British Empire

Author:Arthur L. Herman

“Afrikaans is my first language, although you would never know, as my English accent has more of an American-British thing going on from all my years of travelling.”

Knows Years Firsts Language British Accents

Author:Tanit Phoenix

“Our Government is pleased to partner with the Kelowna Visual and Performing Arts Centre Society, located in the heart of British Columbia's vibrant Central Okanagan region. Support for the performing arts is essential for the professional growth and development of our Canadian artists.”

Heart Art Government Artist Growth Support Development Essentials Art Is British Partners Performing Visuals Regions Centre Columbia Performing Arts British Columbia

Author:Shelly Glover

“For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn't always buy them happiness.”

Social Deals Century Return Daughter Ultimate British Titles Cash Billionaire 19th Century Social Status

Author:Daisy Goodwin

“I have a British passport, but the rest of my family have Indian passports, and I am Indian.”

My Family British Indian Passports

Author:Amit Bhatia

“After college I funded my short films with acting roles in film and TV. I learned my craft through the great opportunities British television gave me as a director.”

Film Opportunity Acting Roles Television College Tvs Directors British Crafts Great Opportunity Short Films British Television

Author:Justin Chadwick

“Belgium is a country invented by the British to annoy the French.”

Country British Annoying Belgium

Author:Charles de Gaulle

“I have no interest in Shakespeare and all that British nonsense... I just wanted to get famous and all the rest is hogwash.”

Wanted Interest Fame British Nonsense Sentimental Hopkins Hogwash

Author:Anthony Hopkins

“I think the first British actor who really worked well in cinema was Albert Finney. He was a back-street Marlon Brando. He brought a great wittiness and power to the screen. The best actor we've had.”

Thinking Firsts Wells Actors Streets British Screens Cinema Brando

Author:Anthony Hopkins

“I am very happy to be part of European and world cinema as a British filmmaker.”

World British Cinema Filmmaker Very Happy

Author:Mike Leigh

“A lot of the reasons that I'm resistant to making films in the U.S. have nothing to do with not doing a film in Hollywood, but rather to do with what I'm committed to working on in the U.K. I feel very committed to the British film industry and infrastructure.”

Feels Reason Film Industry Hollywood Committed British Infrastructure Film Industry British Film

Author:Mike Leigh

“The problem with the British film industry is the nervousness and insecurity about - and genuflection toward - Los Angeles.”

Problem Film Industry British Insecurity Los Angeles Film Industry Nervousness British Film

Author:Mike Leigh

“Being British, I don't really have a way of expressing myself in conversation. Music transcends language.”

Way Language Conversation British

Author:James Blunt

“The main thing is always try to find different voices for yourself. If you're in your car just driving somewhere you can try to start thinking about a voice you might want to do, like try a British accent.”

Ifs Thinking Want Trying Different Might Voice Car British Driving Accents Different Voices

Author:Ashly Burch

“We had our British background of traditional theatre behind us.”

Behinds British Theatre Backgrounds Traditional

Author:Peter Capaldi

“Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!”

Soldier British British Soldiers

Author:Rudyard Kipling

“Tip to all British tabloids: Do Not Hack Amy Winehouse's Phone. I repeat: Do Not Hack Amy Winehouse's Phone.”

Phones British Repeats Amy Tabloids Hacks

Author:Jonah Goldberg

“The Carlyle Group is the most politically connected investment firm in the world. The company has mastered the art of influence peddling on a global scale, hiring executives and consultants ranging from Republican power broker James Baker and former president George Herbert Walker Bush to foreign leaders like former British prime minister John Major and former Philippine president Fidel Ramos.”

“It is not for us to give an assessment to what happened, but in our opinion the reputation of British science, the reputation of the British government, and the reputation of the title 'Sir' has sustained heavy damage.”

Giving Government Opinion Happened Heavy British Reputation Titles Damage Assessment British Government

Author:Andrey Illarionov

“We are told that Sin consists in acting contrary to God's commands, but we are also told that God is omnipotent. . . . This leads to frightful results. . . . The British State considers it the duty of an Englishman to kill people who are not English whenever a collection of elderly gentlemen in Westminster tells him to do so. . . . Church and State are placable enemies of both intelligence and virtue.”

People States Church Sin Results Acting Enemy Virtue Duty British Contrary Command Gentleman Collections Elderly Church And State Englishmen Omnipotent Westminster

Author:Bertrand Russell

“British food is a celebration of comfort eating. Our traditional savoury recipes are all about warmth and sustenance, our puddings a roll call of sweet jollity, our cakes are deep and cosy. We appear to be a nation in need of a big, warm hug.”

Needs Bigs Nations Sweet Comfort Eating Warm British Traditional Warmth Cake Celebration Hug Recipes Sustenance Pudding Cosy

Author:Nigel Slater

“I'm bemused by the whole Robbie Williams aspect of British pop. Posh Spice? It all looks like cruise ship entertainment to me.”

Looks Whole Aspect Entertainment Pops British Ships Spices Cruise Posh Cruise Ships

Author:David Bowie

“I have a theory that the people who cook in jails are British chefs.”

People Theory British Cooks Jail Chef

Author:Steve Earle

“We [Americans] inherited British law, which is like the new "reforms" that are being made now, in the sense that people are permanently entrapped in debt, if they once fall into bankruptcy. The reason that the law was changed in American history - the whole early period of the formation of the country was moving away from British law into a law that is generated here and that conforms to the sense of what is appropriate here.”

People Ifs Made Country Reason Whole Moving Law Fall Changed Periods British Debt Reform Appropriate American History Conform Formation Bankruptcy Moving Away

Author:Marilynne Robinson

“I'm always surprised that people make such a fuss about Italian tailoring and French design houses. I think traditional British tailoring for men is so good. Everything's the right cut, the fabrics are good.”

People Thinking Men House Cutting Design British Traditional Italian Fabric

Author:Sean Lennon

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