Henry Watson Fowler

The writer's Queen Victoria is his public, and he would do well to keep a bust of the old Queen on his…

— Henry Watson Fowler

Anyone who finds himself putting down several commas close to one another should reflect that he is making himself disagreeable.

— Henry Watson Fowler

After all, it is an ancient and valuable right of the English people to turn their nouns into verbs when they are…

— Henry Watson Fowler

Quotation... A writer expresses himself in words that have been used before because they give his meaning better than he can give…

— Henry Watson Fowler

The purpose of paragraphing is to give the reader a rest. The writer is saying . . . : Have you got…

— Henry Watson Fowler

Those who run to long words are mainly the unskillful and tasteless; they confuse pomposity with dignity, flaccidity with ease, and bulk…

— Henry Watson Fowler

We tell our thoughts, like our children, to put on their hats and coats before they go out.

— Henry Watson Fowler

Any one who wishes to become a good writer should endeavour, before he allows himself to be tempted by the more showy…

— Henry Watson Fowler

Those who are addicted to the phrase "to use a vulgarism" expect to achieve the feat of being at once vulgar and…

— Henry Watson Fowler

Be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid.

— Henry Watson Fowler

It need hardly be said that shortness is a merit in words.

— Henry Watson Fowler

The obvious is better than obvious avoidance of it.

— Henry Watson Fowler