“Sweeter than any sungMy songs that found no tongue;Nobler than any factMy wish that failed of act.Others shall sing the song,Others shall right the wrong,-Finish what I begin,And all I fail of win.” SongFoundWinningWishFailingTongueMy Wish Book:The complete poetical works of John Greenleaf Whittier Source: The complete poetical works of John Greenleaf Whittier
“Poets may boast (as safely-vain) Their work shall with the world remain: Both bound together, live, or die, The verses and the prophecy. But who can hope his lines shou'd long Last, in a daily changing tongue? While they are new, envy prevails, And as that dies, our language fails.” WorldMayLongTogetherLastsDiesLanguageLinesFailingPoetBoundsTongueEnvyVainVersesProphecyBoast Author:Edmund Waller
“Unfortunately, being physically equipped to hear has little to do with the actual predilection to listen. Sharing a common tongue does not ensure earnest or successful communication. Missed connections occur among hearing people all the time, splitting open countless minor chasms and yawning gulches, fissures that no vaccine or technilogical advance will ever be able to mend or prevent. That task will always fail to us.” PeopleLittlesDoeAbleCommonSuccessfulFailingCommunicationTasksConnectionsHearingTongueMinorsEarnestVaccinesChasmsSplittingYawningMissed ConnectionsSuccessful Communication Author:Leah Hager Cohen
“When a tongue fails to send forth appropriate shafts, there might be a word to act as healer of these.” MightFailingSpeechTongueAppropriateHealer Author:Aeschylus
“It is one of my faults, that though my tongue is sometimes prompt enough at an answer, there are times when it sadly fails me in framing an excuse; and always the lapse occurs at some crisis, when a facile word or plausible pretext is specially wanted to get me out of painful embarrassment.” SometimesEnoughWantedAnswersFailingCrisisFaultsPainfulExcuseTongueEmbarrassmentPromptsPlausiblePretextLapsesFraming Book:Jane Eyre Source: Jane Eyre
“Let's start with some of the reasons that the press holds its tongue and some of the things that you don't know because of this. We'll begin with squeamishness, prudishness, timidity and an overdeveloped fear of offending someone... So much for squeamishness and prudishness. There are many other reasons that we editors fail you in this pact you and we have. Let me name a few more: Orthodoxy, conventional thinking, a misplaced pleasure at being on the inside, incompetence and laziness.” ThinkingKnowsReasonNamesPleasureFailingLet MePressesTongueEditorsLazinessConventionalOrthodoxyIncompetenceTimidityPactOffendingMisplacedPrudishness Author:Geneva Overholser