Speak and speed; the close mouth catches no flies.

How absurd men are! They never use the liberties they have, they demand those they do not have. They have freedom of thought, they demand freedom of speech.

History does not merely touch on language, but takes place in it.

The more the pleasures of the body fade away, the greater to me is the pleasure and charm of conversation.

God never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make the message clear for them.

Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies.

Words pay no debts.

Methinks the human method of expression by sound of tongue is very elementary and ought to be substituted for some ingenious invention which should be able to give vent to at least six coherent sentences at once.

Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height.

The gift of a common tongue is a priceless inheritance and it may well some day become the foundation of a common citizenship.

Newspapers always excite curiosity. No one ever lays one down without a feeling of disappointment.

Slang is as old as speech and the congregating together of people in cities. It is the result of crowding and excitement and artificial life.

Under all speech that is good for anything, there lies a silence that is better. Silence is deep as eternity; speech is shallow as time.