Best Pithy Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“Money is a tool, so I don't have to be.”

Money Tools Quote Dollar Tool Coin Pithy Cent Monies

“I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter." (Letter 16, 1657)”

Writing Humor Letters Wit Brevity Correspondence Pithy Conciseness

Source: The Provincial Letters

“The wisdom of nations lies in their proverbs, which are brief and pithy. Collect and learn them; they are notable measures of directions for human life; you have much in little; they save time in speaking; and upon occasion may be the fullest and safest answer.”

Humans May Littles Lying Nations Answers Occasions Human Life Diplomacy Notable Pithy

Book:The Select Works of William Penn....

Source: The Select Works of William Penn....

“I do love poop. I can't help it. The heart wants what it wants. I enjoy being clever and pithy and political, but nothing's going to get me like dumb stuff.”

Want Heart I Can Helping Political Stuff Enjoy Clever Dumb Poop Pithy Dumb Stuff

Author:Sarah Silverman

“If I were called upon to identify briefly the principal trait of the entire 20th century... I would be unable to find anything more precise and pithy than to repeat once again: Men have forgotten God.”

Ifs Men Would Be Christian Religious Century Forgotten Repeats Traits Principal Precise 20th Century Pithy

Author:Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“There is an old Italian proverb about the nature of translation: "Traddutore, traditore!" This means simply, "Translators-traitors!" Of course, as you can see, something is lost in the translation of this pithy expression: there is great similarity in both the spelling and the pronunciation of the original saying, but these get diluted once they are put in English dress. Even the translation of this proverb illustrates its truth!”

Mean Courses Lost Expression Originals Dresses Italian Biblical Translations Similarity Traitor Spelling Translators Pronunciation Italian Proverb Pithy

Author:Daniel Wallace

“First, there was Confucius. Then, the sayings of Chairman Mao. And now the pithy, ironic, and humorous insights of Ai Weiwei. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection, which reflects a well-developed philosophy as well as a keen understanding of the Chinese Communist system. This is China made easy and interesting.”

Firsts Wells Made Philosophy Reading Easy Understanding Interesting Humorous China Insight Enjoyed Chinese Collections Communist Ironic Chairman Mao Chairman Mao Pithy

Author:Jerome A. Cohen

“This is exactly how the World Wide Web works: the HTML files are the pithy description on the paper tape, and your Web browser is Ronald Reagan.”

World Paper Wide Description Tape Files World Wide Web Browsers Html Pithy

Author:Neal Stephenson

“Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea.”

Eye Language Sea Middle Swimming Pithy

Author:Jack Kerouac

“The Americans, who are the most efficient people on the earth, have carried [phrase-making] to such a height of perfection and have invented so wide a range of pithy and hackneyed phrases that they can carry on an amusing and animated conversation without giving a moment’s reflection to what they are saying and so leave their minds free to consider the more important matters of big business and fornication.”

People Giving Mind Important Matter Moments Bigs Earth Funny Conversation Reflection Perfection Wide Range Height Phrases Efficient Animated Amusing Big Business Mind Free Pithy

Author:W. Somerset Maugham

“I stared up at the Erlking, and with my typical pithy brilliance said, "Uh-oh.”

Said Typical Brilliance Dresden Harry Dresden Pithy

Book:Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files

Source: Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files

“Unrequited love," I'd say. He'd look at me sideways in that cunning way he did and say, "what about it?" and I'd reply, "it's not your color." Pithy. Just to show him that I'd noticed. Or maybe I'd show myself to her and say, "Guess I'm not the only one who uses humans around here." And then I'd summon some of Owain's hounds to chew off the bottom bits of her legs. Then she wouldn't fit just right into his arms. She'd be too short. It'd be like hugging a midget. Nuala- pg. 75”

Way Humans Looks Use Shows Bits Color Arms Fit Bottom Legs Hug Unrequited Love Look At Me Cunning Too Short Unrequited Sideways Hounds Midget Pithy

Book:Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie

Source: Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie

“We communicated with pithy, rather monosyllabic thoughts: viz. Run, Jump, Where? Left, Up, Duck, ect. (This latter was an observation I made on the edge of a lake. Nathaniel unfortunately took it as a command, which resulted in our temporary immersion.) We didn't ever quite say Ug, but it was a close-run thing.”

Made Running Left Edges Command Observation Lakes Latter Temporary Ducks Immersion Pithy

Author:Jonathan Stroud

“Mathematicians deal with large numbers sometimes, but never in their income.”

Sometimes Deals Numbers Math Income Mathematician Large Numbers Pithy

Book:Prelude to Foundation

Source: Prelude to Foundation

“Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana”

“The wisdom of nations lies in their proverbs, which are brief and pithy.”

Inspirational Lying Nations Brevity Brighten Your Day Pithy

Book:The Select Works of William Penn....

Source: The Select Works of William Penn....

“Speaking of Twitter, I don't even know if I composed a blog entry in 2009, as I was too busy parceling my every thought into cute 140-character sound bites. I used to only worry about being pithy for a living; now some of my best lines are wasted on a free app!”

Ifs Knows Character Used Sound Lines Worry Busy Cute Bites Blogs Too Busy Entry Apps Sound Bites 140 Character Pithy

Author:Diablo Cody

“Speech is highly elliptical. It would scarcely be endurable otherwise. Ellipsis is indispensable to the writer or speaker who wants to be brief and pithy, but it can easily cause confusion and obscurity and must be used with skill.”

Want Writing Used Causes Skills Speech Confusion Speakers Indispensable Obscurity Pithy

Author:Bergen Evans

“A grave, wherever found, preaches a short and pithy sermon to the soul.”

Soul Found Graves Sermons Pithy

Author:Nathaniel Hawthorne

“Pithy sentences are like sharp nails which force truth upon our memory.”

Literature Force Memories Sentences Nails Our Memories Pithy

Author:Denis Diderot

“Quinn Cummings is a master story-teller and her book is nothing short of delightful. Her insights into topics like celebrity, parenting, and cats with a taste for homicide are pithy and uproarious and not to be missed. Notes from the Underwire is charming, hilarious, and just snarky enough to be ultimately satisfying.”

Book Enough Stories Masters Taste Cat Notes Insight Satisfying Charming Topics Delightful Homicide Quinn Pithy

Author:Jen Lancaster

“Booker T. Jones sounds more pithy and forceful than ever on “Potato Hole”…Mr. Jones still jabs terse, unhurried melodies that sound as if he knows the lyrics but would never tell. Where the M.G.’s suavely underplayed their aggression, the rockers’ multiple-guitar attack, with distortion and feedback, gives the music teeth.”

Ifs Knows Giving Stills Sound Guitar Holes Teeth Melody Aggression Multiple Feedback Potatoes Distortion Rockers Pithy

Author:Jon Pareles

“We took a bus to the nearby monastery of one of the last great Tang dynasty Chan masters, Yun-men. Yun-men was known for his pithy 'one word' Zen. When asked 'What is the highest teaching of the Buddha?' he replied: 'An appropriate statement.' On another occasion, he answered: 'Cake.' I admired his directness.”

Men Lasts Known Teaching Masters Highest Statements Occasions Appropriate Bus Cake One Word Dynasty Monasteries Pithy

Book:Confession of a Buddhist Atheist

Source: Confession of a Buddhist Atheist