--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words are cheap. The biggest thing you…" description: "\"Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is 'elephant'.\" — Charlie Chaplin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/charlie-chaplin-1779_language_words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-ca_2091861.jpg" --- # Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is… ![“Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is 'elephant'.” quote by Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/charlie-chaplin-1779_language_words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-ca_2091861.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/charlie-chaplin-1779_language_words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-ca_2091861.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/charlie-chaplin-1779_language_words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-ca_2091861.jpg) > “Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is 'elephant'.” [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words often lack impact; a single vivid image can convey more meaning than many cheap words. **In simple terms:** A strong image speaks louder than many words. Key Takeaway Use striking imagery to communicate powerfully. Themes communication impact imagery Mood thoughtful inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - advertising - public speaking - writing - teaching Key Concepts symbolism conciseness Questions to Reflect On - How can you choose an image that captures your core message? - What risks arise when relying on symbolism alone? A Different Perspective A single image may be misinterpreted without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elephant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elephant/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [You know...they say an elephant never forgets. What they don't tell you is, you never forget an elephant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/you-know-they-say-an-elephant-never-forgets-what-they-don-t-tell-you/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [“Money, you could say, was the elephant in The Room .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/money-you-could-say-was-the-elephant-in-the-room/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [Our elders say that an elephant does not find its own trunk heavy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zakes-mda/our-elders-say-that-an-elephant-does-not-find-its-own-trunk-heavy/) [Zakes Mda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zakes-mda/) > [When I hear someone say 'elephant,' I instantly think they must be talking about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-hammond/when-i-hear-someone-say-elephant-i-instantly-think-they-must-be/) [Alison Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-hammond/) > [Talking much is a sign of vanity, for the one who is lavish with words is cheap in deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/talking-much-is-a-sign-of-vanity-for-the-one-who-is-lavish-with-words/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [Words...are cheap, and easy. It is the hard, our actions, that truly define us. What do yours say about you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/words-are-cheap-and-easy-it-is-the-hard-our-actions-that-truly-define/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [You can say you love, words are cheap! When trouble comes around, you leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naresha/you-can-say-you-love-words-are-cheap-when-trouble-comes-around-you/) [Naresha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naresha/) > [“Sometimes words were cheap. They could be powerful, but in those rare occasions like now, words meant nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/sometimes-words-were-cheap-they-could-be-powerful-but-in-those-rare/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [Independence is earned by a few words of cheap confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/independence-is-earned-by-a-few-words-of-cheap-confidence/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Hate is a strong word,” I say, offering her some eggs, which she accepts. “So is love. At least I didn’t say that.” “So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-fisher/hate-is-a-strong-word-i-say-offering-her-some-eggs-which-she-accepts/) [Haley Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-fisher/) > [“The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-nakoneczny-high-school-track-coach/the-best-way-to-eat-an-elephant-is-one-bite-at-a-time/) Wayne Nakoneczny high school track coach > [“How much does an elephant weigh? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-patton/how-much-does-an-elephant-weigh/) Rhonda Patton > [I think success is a relative term. If you're a caveman, success is capturing an elephant. Success is achieving better than the norm. Success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-taffer/i-think-success-is-a-relative-term-if-you-re-a-caveman-success-is/) [Jon Taffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-taffer/) > [I watched a film called 'Elephant' recently. Its not stylish in the sense of expensive suits and Italian cars, but the styling on every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinie-tempah/i-watched-a-film-called-elephant-recently-its-not-stylish-in-the/) [Tinie Tempah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinie-tempah/) > [“As I remarked before, the Asiatic elephant is smaller than the African, which is frequently twelve feet high, and its tusks are in proportion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/as-i-remarked-before-the-asiatic-elephant-is-smaller-than-the-african/) [Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/) ## More by Charlie Chaplin > [The people are applauding you because none of them understands you and applauding me because everybody understands me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/the-people-are-applauding-you-because-none-of-them-understands-you/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [I am not religious in the dogmatic sense ... I neither believe nor disbelieve in anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-am-not-religious-in-the-dogmatic-sense-i-neither-believe-nor/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Even when I was in the orphanage, when I was roaming the street trying to find enough to eat, even then I thought of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/even-when-i-was-in-the-orphanage-when-i-was-roaming-the-street-trying/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [You are only as good as the woman you are standing beside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/you-are-only-as-good-as-the-woman-you-are-standing-beside/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [my lips never know my problem they just always smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/my-lips-never-know-my-problem-they-just-always-smile/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [“Vosotros no sois ganado, no sois máquinas, sois Hombres.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/vosotros-no-sois-ganado-no-sois-m-quinas-sois-hombres/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Moving pictures need sound as much as Beethoven symphonies need lyrics,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/moving-pictures-need-sound-as-much-as-beethoven-symphonies-need-lyrics/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Time is the best author. It always writes the perfect ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/time-is-the-best-author-it-always-writes-the-perfect-ending/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/in-this-world-there-is-room-for-everyone-and-the-good-earth-is-rich/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Man as an individual is a genius. But men in the mass form the headless monster, a great, brutish idiot that goes where prodded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/man-as-an-individual-is-a-genius-but-men-in-the-mass-form-the/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [The irony in life doing the wrong thing at the right moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/the-irony-in-life-doing-the-wrong-thing-at-the-right-moment/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Man is an animal with primary instincts of survival. Consequently his ingenuity has developed first and his soul afterwards. The progress of science is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/man-is-an-animal-with-primary-instincts-of-survival-consequently-his/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [I don't need interesting camera angles, I am interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-don-t-need-interesting-camera-angles-i-am-interesting/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Nothing in life is permanent, not even one's troubles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/nothing-in-life-is-permanent-not-even-one-s-troubles/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [What do you want a meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning. Desire is the theme of life. The meaning of anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/what-do-you-want-a-meaning-for-life-is-a-desire-not-a-meaning-desire/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) [Explore all 199 Charlie Chaplin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) ## More Cheap quotes > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [In cloths cheap handsomeness, doth bear the bell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-cloths-cheap-handsomeness-doth-bear-the-bell/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [The only way to learn on a zero dollar budget is to talk to people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/the-only-way-to-learn-on-a-zero-dollar-budget-is-to-talk-to-people/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [There's a whole generation of women who never really heard the word investment before, when it came to fashion. They've been buying things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/there-s-a-whole-generation-of-women-who-never-really-heard-the-word/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [If cheap immigrant labor is made unavailable, employers can hire Americans at a higher wage, or replace low-wage immigrant workers with technology and automation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/if-cheap-immigrant-labor-is-made-unavailable-employers-can-hire/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [“Many great opportunities are not cheap; but some cheap opportunities are so great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iveta-cherneva/many-great-opportunities-are-not-cheap-but-some-cheap-opportunities/) [Iveta Cherneva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iveta-cherneva/) > [“Sorry is so cheap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/sorry-is-so-cheap/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [There would be weeks when I'd just go to Paris on a cheap ticket, sleep on my friend's floor, and just do a show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skepta/there-would-be-weeks-when-i-d-just-go-to-paris-on-a-cheap-ticket/) [Skepta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skepta/) > [Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/never-buy-what-you-do-not-want-because-it-is-cheap-it-will-be-dear-to/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The United States has the best, deepest, widest, and most transparent capital markets in the world which give you, the investor, the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/the-united-states-has-the-best-deepest-widest-and-most-transparent/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/justice-is-not-cheap-justice-is-not-quick-it-is-not-ever-finally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [This MeToo is bothering me much, making me shun TV and newspapers. They are making such wild charges for cheap publicity, claiming something happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sowcar-janaki/this-metoo-is-bothering-me-much-making-me-shun-tv-and-newspapers-they/) [Sowcar Janaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sowcar-janaki/) > [I'm sad that my childhood came just slightly before the lithium-ion-battery boom, because I would've killed for the cheap radio-controlled helicopters they have now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/i-m-sad-that-my-childhood-came-just-slightly-before-the-lithium-ion/) [Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/) > [Grace is free, but it's not cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/grace-is-free-but-it-s-not-cheap/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [I was a cheap criminal; I did many, many wrongs. I admit that. Of course, if I could tell each person I'm sorry, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/i-was-a-cheap-criminal-i-did-many-many-wrongs-i-admit-that-of-course/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) Browse all 618 Cheap quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is 'elephant'.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlie Chaplin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-can-say-is-elephant/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cheap" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-can-say-is-elephant/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/charlie-chaplin-1779_language_words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-ca_2091861.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/charlie-chaplin-1779_language_words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-ca_2091861.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/charlie-chaplin-1779_language_words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-ca_2091861.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is 'elephant'.” — Charlie Chaplin", "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": "Charlie Chaplin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Words are cheap. The biggest thing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-can-say-is-elephant/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/words-are-cheap-the-biggest-thing-you-can-say-is-elephant/#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 } } ] } ```