--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: English is the perfect language for…" description: "\"English is the perfect language for preachers because it allows you to talk until you think of what to say.\" — Garrison Keillor" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/garrison-keillor-1037_language_english-is-the-perfect-language-for-prea_115502.jpg" --- # English is the perfect language for preachers because it… ![“English is the perfect language for preachers because it allows you to talk until you think of what to say.” quote by Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/garrison-keillor-1037_language_english-is-the-perfect-language-for-prea_115502.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/garrison-keillor-1037_language_english-is-the-perfect-language-for-prea_115502.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/garrison-keillor-1037_language_english-is-the-perfect-language-for-prea_115502.jpg) > “English is the perfect language for preachers because it allows you to talk until you think of what to say.” [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote humorously suggests English enables endless talk because speakers can fill gaps with filler until they find substantive content. **In simple terms:** English lets you talk a lot without meaning. Key Takeaway Language can mask lack of ideas. Themes communication language quirks humor public speaking Mood witty satirical Type humorous observational When to use this quote - A preacher delivering a long sermon with little content - Politician using verbose language to avoid answering - Student filling an essay with filler Key Concepts semantic saturation rhetorical excess Practical Applications - Practice concise speaking - Edit speeches for substantive points Questions to Reflect On - How does filler language affect audience trust? - When is verbosity a useful rhetorical tool? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Preacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preacher/) [Preachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preachers/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [No matter how much more I practice, my English will never be perfect. If it is really terrible, I'll correct it, but otherwise, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/no-matter-how-much-more-i-practice-my-english-will-never-be-perfect/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [“We English have perfect eyesight." Alec finally turned to look at her. "Are you jesting with me, wife?" "You decide, husband." "Aye, you are,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-garwood/we-english-have-perfect-eyesight-alec-finally-turned-to-look-at-her/) [Julie Garwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-garwood/) > [That's the trouble with you preachers," he said. "You've all got too good to believe in anything," and he drove off with a look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/that-s-the-trouble-with-you-preachers-he-said-you-ve-all-got-too-good/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [It is remarkable that among all the preachers there are so few moral teachers. The prophets are employed in excusing the ways of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-remarkable-that-among-all-the-preachers-there-are-so-few-moral/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [My objection to the church isn't that the preachers are cruel, hypocritical, actually wicked, though some of them are that, too - think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/my-objection-to-the-church-isn-t-that-the-preachers-are-cruel/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [We need the wisdom of women, and the experience of married people and parents, and the depth of the contemplative if we are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-radcliffe/we-need-the-wisdom-of-women-and-the-experience-of-married-people-and/) [Timothy Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-radcliffe/) > [I used to tell young preachers, in order to preach you've got to have the power of God on your life. Now I tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/i-used-to-tell-young-preachers-in-order-to-preach-you-ve-got-to-have/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [My dad was a Presbyterian minister. Yes, I am one of those dreaded P.K.s - Preachers Kids. Be afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/my-dad-was-a-presbyterian-minister-yes-i-am-one-of-those-dreaded-p-k/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [Remember, there are only a few model preachers. We have read of only one perfect Model, and He was crucified many centuries ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-henry-fowler/remember-there-are-only-a-few-model-preachers-we-have-read-of-only/) [Charles Henry Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-henry-fowler/) > [As preachers of the gospel of Jesus, do not expect worldly honors: these Jesus Christ neither took to himself, nor gave to his disciples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/as-preachers-of-the-gospel-of-jesus-do-not-expect-worldly-honors/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [Let me first state forthright that contrary to what we've often read in books and heard from preachers, when you are a woman, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/let-me-first-state-forthright-that-contrary-to-what-we-ve-often-read/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [Preachers are stewards whom the Lord has ‘set over his household servants to provide them with food at the proper time.’ After all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-farrar-capon/preachers-are-stewards-whom-the-lord-has-set-over-his-household/) [Robert Farrar Capon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-farrar-capon/) > [People who know how to act are never preachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/people-who-know-how-to-act-are-never-preachers/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Both my parents are Methodist preachers, I grew up in a church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-bentley/both-my-parents-are-methodist-preachers-i-grew-up-in-a-church/) [Wes Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-bentley/) > [Preachers prepare with this fear: 'Am I going to be able to fill the time?' The audience never worries about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/preachers-prepare-with-this-fear-am-i-going-to-be-able-to-fill-the/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) ## More by Garrison Keillor > [God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/god-writes-a-lot-of-comedy-the-trouble-is-he-s-stuck-with-so-many-bad/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [The socially redeeming aspect of golf lies in the vast number of lawyers and bankers and managers who play it, and when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-socially-redeeming-aspect-of-golf-lies-in-the-vast-number-of/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [God plays a lot of jokes on us to get our attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/god-plays-a-lot-of-jokes-on-us-to-get-our-attention/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Ha! Easy for nuns to talk about giving up things. That's what they do for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/ha-easy-for-nuns-to-talk-about-giving-up-things-that-s-what-they-do/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [This is the big reason most humorists fail. Drunks don't read books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/this-is-the-big-reason-most-humorists-fail-drunks-don-t-read-books/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, God was well aware of Lake Wobegon, my family, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-only-darkness-and-mist-and/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [On investments, 1998: Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/on-investments-1998-where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [“The rich can afford to be progressive. Poor people have reason to be afraid of the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-rich-can-afford-to-be-progressive-poor-people-have-reason-to-be/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [“If you can't read a simple goddam sign and follow one simple goddam instruction then get your fat butt the hell out of here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/if-you-can-t-read-a-simple-goddam-sign-and-follow-one-simple-goddam/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [“The Gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-gospel-is-meant-to-comfort-the-afflicted-and-afflict-the/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I don't want them to be told to remember me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-don-t-want-them-to-be-told-to-remember-me/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Childhood is the small town everyone came from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/childhood-is-the-small-town-everyone-came-from/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I have taken so many wrong turns and been so careless with precious things and managed to lose, or break, or leave out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-have-taken-so-many-wrong-turns-and-been-so-careless-with-precious/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see, say, thirty cans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is-what-s-here-on-the/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [People do what they are told not to do. It happens time and time again. Here on the frozen tundra, it is known as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/people-do-what-they-are-told-not-to-do-it-happens-time-and-time-again/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) [Explore all 304 Garrison Keillor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) ## More Language quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. 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Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) TimBur > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) [Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "English is the perfect language for preachers because it allows you to talk until you think of what to say.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Garrison Keillor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/english-is-the-perfect-language-for-preachers-because-it-allows-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Language" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/english-is-the-perfect-language-for-preachers-because-it-allows-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/garrison-keillor-1037_language_english-is-the-perfect-language-for-prea_115502.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/garrison-keillor-1037_language_english-is-the-perfect-language-for-prea_115502.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/garrison-keillor-1037_language_english-is-the-perfect-language-for-prea_115502.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“English is the perfect language for preachers because it allows you to talk until you think of what to say.” — Garrison Keillor", "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": "Garrison Keillor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "English is the perfect language for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/english-is-the-perfect-language-for-preachers-because-it-allows-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/english-is-the-perfect-language-for-preachers-because-it-allows-you/#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 } } ] } ```