Say what you have to say and first time you come to a sentence with a grammatical ending; sit down.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
A man who has the courage of his platitudes is always a successful man. The instructed man is ashamed to pronounce in an orphic manner what everybody knows, and because he is silent people think he is making fun of them. They like a man who expresses their own superficial thoughts in a manner that appears to be profound. This enables them to feel that they are themselves profound.
—Van Wyck Brooks (1886–1963) American Literary Critic, Biographer, Historian
What is uttered is finished and done with.
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955) German Novelist, Short Story Writer, Social Critic, Philanthropist, Essayist
The first evil those who are prone to talk suffer, is that they hear nothing.
—Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE) Greek Biographer, Philosopher
The more you are talked about the less powerful you are.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
If it requires great tact to speak to the purpose, it requires no less to know when to be silent.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
There are two kinds of people who don’t say much, those who are quiet and those who talk a lot.
—Indian Proverb
Speak when you are spoken to.
—Common Proverb
Before you speak ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.
—Bernard Meltzer (1916–98) American Radio Personality
I do not speak of what I cannot praise.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Talking without thinking is like shooting without taking aim.
—Common Proverb
I didn’t say the things I said.
—Yogi Berra (1925–2015) American Sportsperson
You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.
—John M. Ford (1957–2006) American Novelist, Writer, Poet
All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Speak little and to the purpose.
—Common Proverb
He that speaks much, is much mistaken.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Women prefer to talk in twos, while men prefer to talk in threes.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Be interesting, be enthusiastic… and don’t talk to much.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
The trouble with talking too fast is you may say something you haven’t thought of yet.
—Ask Ann Landers (1918–2002) American Advice Columnist
Talking and eloquence are not the same.—To speak and to speak well are two things.—A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too much.
—John Wayne (1907–79) American Actor, Director, Producer
A closed mouth catches no flies.
—French Proverb
What you are doing rings so loudly in my ears that I can’t hear what you’re saying.
—Unknown
Half wits talk much, but say little.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
When I think over what I have said, I envy dumb people.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
I don’t care how much a person talks, if they only say it in a few words.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
Too many of us speak twice before we think
—Indian Proverb
If an eloquent speaker speak not the truth, is there a more horrid kind of object in creation?
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
Don’t talk unless you can improve the silence.
—Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986) Argentine Writer, Essayist, Poet
And ’tis remarkable that they talk most who have the least to say.
—Matthew Prior (1664–1721) English Poet, Diplomat