Drink the first. Sip the second slowly. Skip the third.
—Knute Rockne (1888–1931) American College Football Coach
I view the tea-drinking as a destroyer of health, an enfeebler of the frome, an engender of effeminacy and laziness, a debaucher of youth and maker of misery for old age.
—William Cobbett (1763–1835) English Journalist, Social Reformer
Drunkenness is temporary suicide: the happiness that it brings is merely negative, a momentary cessation of unhappiness.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
A man cannot make him laugh; but that’s no marvel; he drinks no wine.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The maxim, “in vino Veritas—that a man who is well warmed with wine will speak truth,” may be an argument for drinking, if you suppose men in general to be liars; but, sir, I would not keep company with a fellow, who lies as long as he is sober, and whom you must make drunk before you can get a word of truth out of him.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
The chief reason for drinking is the desire to behave in a certain way, and to be able to blame it on alcohol.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
Would that I were a dry well, and that the people tossed stones into me, for that would be easier than to be a spring of flowing water that the thirsty pass by, and from which they avoid drinking.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-American Philosopher, Poet, Sculptor
When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.
—Henny Youngman (1906–98) Anglo-American Comedian, Violinist
It takes only one drink to get me drunk. The trouble is, I can’t remember if it’s the thirteenth or the fourteenth.
—George Burns (1896–1996) American Comedian
Champagne does have one regular drawback: swilled as a regular thing a certain sourness settles in the tummy, and the result is permanent bad breath. Really incurable.
—Truman Capote (1924–84) American Novelist
A good writer is not necessarily a good book critic. No more so than a good drunk is automatically a good bartender.
—Jim Bishop (1907–87) American Author, Journalist, Columnist
Bacchus’ blessings are a treasure; Drinking is the soldier’s pleasure.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
I am grieved that it should be said he is my brother, and take these courses. Well, as he brews, so shall he drink, for George again. Yet he shall hear on’t, and tightly, too, an’ I live, i’faith.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
Wine makes a man better pleased with himself. I do not say that it makes him more pleasing to others… This is one of the disadvantages of wine, it makes a man mistake words for thoughts.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
The first draught serveth for health, the second for pleasure, the third or shame, and the fourth for madness.
—Anacharsis (fl.6th century BCE) Scythian Prince
There can be nothing more frequent than an occasional drink.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
prohibition makes you want to cry into your beer and denies you the beer to cry into.
—Don Marquis (1878–1937) American Humorist, Journalist, Author
To be always intending to live a new life, but never to find time to set about it; this is as if a man should put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day and night to another, till he is starved and destroyed.
—John Tillotson
Strong drink is not only the devil’s way into a man, but man’s way to the devil.
—Adam Clarke (c.1762–1832) British Methodist Theologian, Biblical Scholar
Drunkards are doomed to hell, so men declare, Believe it not, ’tis but a foolish scare; Heaven will be empty as this hand of mine, If none who love good drink find entrance there.
—Omar Khayyam (1048–1123) Persian Mathematician
Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you fight with your neighbor. It makes you shoot at your landlord and it makes you miss him.
—Anonymous
Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Let those that merely talk and never think, That live in the wild anarchy of drink.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
I drink no more than a sponge.
—Francois Rabelais (1494–1553) French Humanist, Satirist
Drink moderately, for drunkenness neither keeps a secret, nor observes a promise.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
I think a man ought to get drunk at least twice a year just on principle, so he won’t let himself get snotty about it.
—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959) American Novelist
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