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Portrait of William Safire

William Safire

(1929–2009) Columnist United States

103 quotes in 705 categories

William Safire was a columnist from the United States.

Quick Facts About William Safire

Born: December 17, 1929
Died: September 27, 2009
Nationality: United States
Profession: Columnist
Notable works: Prentice Hall Literature--Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes--The American Experience

About William Safire

William Lewis Safire was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He was a long-time syndicated political columnist for The New York Times and wrote the "On Language" column in The New York Times Magazine about popular etymology, new or unusual usages, and other language-related topics.

Biography source: Wikipedia

Awards & Honors

Presidential Medal of Freedom Pulitzer Prize for Commentary

Quotes by William Safire · Page 3

Don't expect others to do your work for you.

Funny

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You don't want lopsided government. You don't want one side running roughshod over the other.

Government

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Do not be taken in by 'insiderisms.' Fledgling columnists, eager to impress readers with their grasp of journalistic jargon, are drawn to…

Arcane

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Avoid overuse of 'quotation “marks.”'

Inspirational

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[Senators John Kerry & John Edwards] have risen high in Democratic polls with a brand of class resentment and soak-the-rich rhetoric rooted…

Brands

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In dealing with Syria's dictator...only force counts. No cease-fire was attainable in Lebanon until the 16-inch guns of the battleship New Jersey…

Cease

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When articulation is impossible, gesticulation comes to the rescue.

Articulation

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Have a definite opinion.

Definite

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Carter is the best President the Soviet Union ever had.

Carter

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By elevating your reading, you will improve your writing or at least tickle your thinking.

Elevating

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To 'know your place' is a good idea in politics. That is not to say 'stay in your place' or 'hang on…

Ambition

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The first ladyship is the only federal office in which the holder can neither be fired nor impeached.

First lady

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The perfect Christmas gift for a sportscaster, as all fans of sports clichés know, is a scoreless tie.

Christmas

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Only in grammar can you be more than perfect.

English grammar

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I welcome new words, or old words used in new ways, provided the result is more precision, added color or greater expressiveness.

Color

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Remember to never split an infinitive. The passive voice should never be used. Do not put statements in the negative form. Proofread…

Form

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The noun phrase straw man, now used as a compound adjective as in 'straw-man device, technique or issue,' was popularized in American…

Adjective

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Is sloppiness in speech caused by ignorance or apathy? I don't know and I don't care.

Apathy

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Dangling punch lines to forgotten stories remain in the language like the smile of the Cheshire cat.

Cat

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After eating, an epicure gives a thin smile of satisfaction; a gastronome, burping into his napkin, praises the food in a magazine;…

Burping

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No one flower can ever symbolize this nation. America is a bouquet....

America

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George Washington had a tough second term.

George w

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“Not long ago, I advertised for perverse rules of grammar, along the lines of "Remember to never split an infinitive" and "The…

Grammar

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The trick is to start early in our careers the stress-relieving avocation that we will need later as a mind-exercising final vocation.…

Career

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Sir Alec Douglas-Home, when he was British Foreign Secretary, said he received the following telegram from an irate citizen: "To hell with…

British

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William Safire by topic

Language (13) Writing (9) Politics (9) Inspirational (8) Books (8)