--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words can make big things little, you know." description: "\"“Words can make big things little, you know.”\" — Alexander McCall Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/alexander-mccall-smith-372_big-things_words-can-make-big-things-little-you-kno_2567769.png" --- # Words can make big things little, you know. ![“Words can make big things little, you know.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/alexander-mccall-smith-372_big-things_words-can-make-big-things-little-you-kno_2567769.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/alexander-mccall-smith-372_big-things_words-can-make-big-things-little-you-kno_2567769.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/alexander-mccall-smith-372_big-things_words-can-make-big-things-little-you-kno_2567769.png) > ““Words can make big things little, you know.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language can diminish the significance of large concepts, making them seem trivial. **In simple terms:** Words can make big things seem small. Key Takeaway Choose language that respects the magnitude of ideas. Themes communication perception power of language Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public speaking - writing - teaching Key Concepts semantic framing psychology of language impact of phrasing Questions to Reflect On - When does simplifying become misrepresentation? - How can we preserve nuance while being clear? A Different Perspective Overly simplistic language may obscure necessary complexity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Make Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-big/) [Things Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-little/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Words Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-make/) ## Related quotes > [It's no big thing, but you make big things out of little things sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duvall/it-s-no-big-thing-but-you-make-big-things-out-of-little-things/) [Robert Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duvall/) > [The game of baseball is made up of many little things. If we do all the little things right, then we'll never have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-sr/the-game-of-baseball-is-made-up-of-many-little-things-if-we-do-all/) [Cal Ripken, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-sr/) > [We try to stress the little things because little things lead to big things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-alford/we-try-to-stress-the-little-things-because-little-things-lead-to-big/) [Steve Alford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-alford/) > [“Little things make the big things happen”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/little-things-make-the-big-things-happen/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [I don't take on big things. What I do, pretty much, is make the big things small and the small things big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/i-don-t-take-on-big-things-what-i-do-pretty-much-is-make-the-big/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) > [It's the simple things in life that mean the most, and it's the simple things that will make the big things seem bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-the-simple-things-in-life-that-mean-the-most-and-it-s-the-simple/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“words make some unique ; words destroy some”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/words-make-some-unique-words-destroy-some/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [Words can make you sick. Or healed. - Words create worlds because the universe is always listening... and so are your cells, your psyche,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/words-can-make-you-sick-or-healed-words-create-worlds-because-the/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [“That's how ideas and the institutions they generate come to be in the first place. It is in strings of words that we make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mitchell/that-s-how-ideas-and-the-institutions-they-generate-come-to-be-in-the/) [Richard Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mitchell/) > [Never stop doing little things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-stop-doing-little-things-for-others-sometimes-those-little/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/the-little-things-the-little-moments-they-aren-t-little/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Never Get Tired Of Doing Little Good Things For Others. Sometimes, Those Little Good Things Occupy The Biggest Part Of Their Hearts...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/never-get-tired-of-doing-little-good-things-for-others-sometimes/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [The only things that are a little bit newer are the CD burners, but we hid them under the table, so basically we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-white/the-only-things-that-are-a-little-bit-newer-are-the-cd-burners-but-we/) [Meg White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-white/) > [Some of the most beautiful and fulfilling things in life are often things that we have very little understanding of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-of-the-most-beautiful-and-fulfilling-things-in-life-are-often/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no real elevation of mind in a contempt of little things; it is, on the contrary, from too narrow views that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/there-is-no-real-elevation-of-mind-in-a-contempt-of-little-things-it/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Big things quotes > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/little-things-make-the-difference-everyone-is-well-prepared-in-the/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [I would not have lasted a minute, literally a minute, on this Earth without God and angels by my side, because I was born.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattie-stepanek/i-would-not-have-lasted-a-minute-literally-a-minute-on-this-earth/) [Mattie Stepanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattie-stepanek/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [It's silly to have as one's sole object in life just making money, accumulating wealth. I work because I enjoy what I'm doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/it-s-silly-to-have-as-one-s-sole-object-in-life-just-making-money/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-dale-bell/show-me-a-man-who-cannot-bother-to-do-little-things-and-i-ll-show-you/) [Lawrence Dale Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-dale-bell/) > [ITS FUNNY HOW YOU CAN MAKE SILENT HAPPINESS TO OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR NONE SENSE ACTIONS. BECAUSE SOMETHINGS IT MAYBE LITTLE AS WE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-voice/its-funny-how-you-can-make-silent-happiness-to-other-people-out-of/) [NO VOICE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/no-voice/) > [The little things, I can obey. But the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/the-little-things-i-can-obey-but-the-big-things-how-we-think-what-we/) [Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/) > [The little things are being early to meetings and lifts, stretching and warming up - doing all these things consistently, the walk-throughs that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-herbert/the-little-things-are-being-early-to-meetings-and-lifts-stretching/) [Justin Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-herbert/) > [I promise you this: at the end of your days, you will discover that the things you now perceive to be the big things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/i-promise-you-this-at-the-end-of-your-days-you-will-discover-that-the/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“He wanted me to understand two big things: First, that nobody, no group, is above others. Public servants are obliged to level with everybody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/he-wanted-me-to-understand-two-big-things-first-that-nobody-no-group/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“When it comes to big things in life, there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/when-it-comes-to-big-things-in-life-there-are-no-accidents-everything/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [President Barack Obama is a doer. And we in America will do big things with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hunt/president-barack-obama-is-a-doer-and-we-in-america-will-do-big-things/) [Jim Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hunt/) > [There are experts in little things but there are no experts in big things. There are experts in this fact and that fact but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/there-are-experts-in-little-things-but-there-are-no-experts-in-big/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) [Browse all 748 Big things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Words can make big things little, you know.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/words-can-make-big-things-little-you-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big things" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/words-can-make-big-things-little-you-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/alexander-mccall-smith-372_big-things_words-can-make-big-things-little-you-kno_2567769.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/alexander-mccall-smith-372_big-things_words-can-make-big-things-little-you-kno_2567769.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/alexander-mccall-smith-372_big-things_words-can-make-big-things-little-you-kno_2567769.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Words can make big things little, you know.” — Alexander McCall Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Words can make big things little,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/words-can-make-big-things-little-you-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/words-can-make-big-things-little-you-know/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```