Best Literal Lines

201 Literal quotes by 175 unique authors

Extremists often derive their inspiration from literal interpretations of texts that should rightly be read not as Associated Press reports from the ancient world, but… — Jon Meacham
Nelson Mandela is, for me, the single statesman in the world. The single statesman, in that literal sense, who is not solving all his problems… — Toni Morrison
If it's just screaming - and I know this sounds so ridiculous - that gets old. But sometimes when there's literal chaos, it's like being… — Robert Pattinson
The month of Ramadan is the world's most widespread fast and yet its teachings are minimised, neglected and even betrayed (through literal application of rules… — Tariq Ramadan
When we talk about how movies used to be made, it was over 100 years of film, literal, physical film, with emulsion, that we would… — Keanu Reeves
Whenever you have dynamic interactions between 300 million people and the American economy acting in really complex ways, that introduces a degree of almost chaos… — Nate Silver
I think people's perception of a rich girl is literal, but metaphorically I embrace it as being rich in love, spirit, joy and religion. So… — Angie Stone
Woe to the makers of literal translations, who by rendering every word weaken the meaning! It is indeed by so doing that we can say… — Voltaire
I do not consider myself a literal genius. — Lil Wayne
I believe in the literal rising of the body of Christ. It's the cornerstone of my Christian faith. — Francis Collins
Metaphor is one of a group of problem-solving medicines known as figures of speech which are normally used to treat literal thinking and other diseases. — Grant Morrison
I've never had any intentions about anything. That's why I am where I am today, which is neither here nor there, in a literal sense. — Edward Gorey
So the greatest source of happiness is other people- and what does money do? It isolates us from other people. It enables us to build… — Eric Weiner
It is not the literal past, the 'facts' of history, that shape us, but images of the past embodied in language. — Brian Friel
All religions are true but none are literal. — Joseph Campbell
The camera would miss it all. A magnificent picture is never worth a thousand perfect words. Ansel Adams can be a great artist, but he… — John Dunning
How could a just God permit great misery? The Haitian peasants answered with a proverb: "Bondye konn bay, men li pa konn separe," in literal… — Tracy Kidder
Who is more humble? The scientist who looks at the universe with an open mind and accepts whatever the universe has to teach us, or… — Carl Sagan
However, displayed right alongside all the Confederate flag paraphernalia is a bunch of American flag merch – American flag place mats, patriotic “body crystals,” flag… — Sarah Vowell
Everyone knows that a lot of memoirs have made-up scenes; it's obvious. And everyone knows that half the time at least fictions contain literal autobiographical… — Lauren Slater
We learn that many great thinkers were convinced that the Bible contained the Ancient Mysteries, but not in the literal words—that the words on the… — Maureen Johnson
Not everyone can afford to eat well in America, which is a literal shame, but most of us can: Americans spend less than 10 percent… — Michael Pollan
The struggle for a free intelligence has always been a struggle between the ironic and the literal mind. — Christopher Hitchens
The fragility of love is what is most at stake here—humanity's most crucial three-word avowal is often uttered only to find itself suddenly embarrassing or… — Christopher Hitchens
Fantasy and science fiction can be literal as well as allegorical and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a monster like a giant squid for what… — China Mieville

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175 authors contributed a total of 201 Literal Quotes, led by these top contributors:

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