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My favorite quotations… on quotations

October 18th, 2005 by Michael Moncur in Quotations

As I’ve built this site over the years, one of my favorite pastimes was finding quotations about quotations. Along with being introspective, these quotations also serve to justify the existence of a site like this—or to question its existence. Our subject page on quotations has 53 of these meta-quotes.

Continuing the my favorite quotations series, here are my favorite quotations about quotations.

The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation.

Benjamin Disraeli

Quotation, n: The act of repeating erroneously the words of another.

Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

A quotation in a speech, article or book is like a rifle in the hands of an infantryman. It speaks with authority.

Brendan Francis

A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought.

Dorothy L. Sayers, Lord Peter Wimsey in “Gaudy Night”

I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.