A long tongue shortens life.
A talk is like a woman's dress. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be interesting.
A witty saying proves nothing.
All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared hearer.
Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot.
Better pointed bullets than pointed speeches.
Bigotry and intolerance, silenced by argument, endeavors to silence by persecution, in old days by fire and sword, in modern days by the tongue.
Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.
For mankind, speech with a capital S is especially meaningful and committing, more than the content communicated. The outcry of the newborn and the sound of the bells are fraught with mystery more than the baby's woeful face or the venerable tower.
From my earliest days I have enjoyed an attractive impediment in my speech. I have never permitted the use of the word ''stammer.'' I can't say it myself.
I don't want to talk grammar. I want to talk like a lady.
I have always been among those who believed that the greatest freedom of speech was the greatest safety, because if a man is a fool the best thing to do is to encourage him to advertise the fact by speaking.
I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.
I've decided to discontinue my long talks. It's because of my throat. Someone threatened to cut it.
If you don't want to read it, see it or hear it, don't say it.
It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.
It's a damn shame we have this immediate ticking off in the mind about how people sound. On the other hand, how many people really want to be operated upon by a surgeon who talks broad cockney?
It's better to keep your mouth shut and give the impression that you're stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.
Language is legislation, speech is its code. We do not see the power which is in speech because we forget that all speech is a classification, and that all classifications are oppressive.
Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.