Best William Safire Quotes
- A book should have an intellectual shape and a heft that comes with dealing with a primary subject. Book
- At a certain point, what people mean when they use a word becomes its meaning. Becomes
- I'm a right-wing pundit and have been for many years. Been
- One challenge to the arts in America is the need to make the arts, especially the classic masterpieces, accessible and relevant to today's audience. Accessible
- Previously known for its six syllables of sweetness and light, reconciliation has become the political fighting word of the year. Fighting
- The wonderful thing about being a New York Times columnist is that it's like a Supreme Court appointment - they're stuck with you for a… Appointment
- To be accused of 'channeling' is to be dismissed as a ventriloquist's live dummy, derogated at not having a mind of one's own. Accused
- When articulation is impossible, gesticulation comes to the rescue. Articulation
- Do not be taken in by 'insiderisms.' Fledgling columnists, eager to impress readers with their grasp of journalistic jargon, are drawn to such arcane spellings… Arcane
- Never look for the story in the 'lede.' Reporters are required to put what's happened up top, but the practiced pundit places a nugget of… Column
- Sometimes I know the meaning of a word but am tired of it and feel the need for an unfamiliar, especially precise or poetic term,… Especially
- Why use a modifier to set straight a not-quite-right noun when the right noun is available? Available
- Never assume the obvious is true. Assume
- When I need to know the meaning of a word, I look it up in a dictionary. Dictionary
- Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation, and is thus a source of civilized delight. Appreciation
- If you re-read your work, you can find on re-reading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by re-reading and editing. Avoided
- Cast aside any column about two subjects. It means the pundit chickened out on the hard decision about what to write about that day. Any
- I welcome new words, or old words used in new ways, provided the result is more precision, added color or greater expressiveness. Added
- I'm willing to zap conservatives when they do things that are not libertarian. Conservatives
- Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague. Avoid
- Remember to never split an infinitive. The passive voice should never be used. Do not put statements in the negative form. Proofread carefully to see… Carefully
- Took me a while to get to the point today, but that is because I did not know what the point was when I started. Funny
- Do not put statements in the negative form. And don't start sentences with a conjunction. If you reread your work, you will find on rereading… Accession
- What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate nor confederate will do, and partner is too legalistic. The answer brought from academia to… Academia
- Today, war of necessity is used by critics of military action to describe unavoidable response to an attack like that on Pearl Harbor that led… Action