--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Homo Americanus is going to go on…" description: "\"Homo Americanus is going to go on speaking and writing the way he always has, no matter what dictionary he owns.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/kurt-vonnegut-41_dictionary_homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaki_2484660.jpg" --- # Homo Americanus is going to go on speaking and writing the… ![“Homo Americanus is going to go on speaking and writing the way he always has, no matter what dictionary he owns.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/kurt-vonnegut-41_dictionary_homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaki_2484660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/kurt-vonnegut-41_dictionary_homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaki_2484660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/kurt-vonnegut-41_dictionary_homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaki_2484660.jpg) > “Homo Americanus is going to go on speaking and writing the way he always has, no matter what dictionary he owns.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He will keep speaking and writing regardless of external validation or tools. **In simple terms:** He will keep expressing himself despite any dictionary. Key Takeaway Stay true to your voice. Themes creativity independence expression Mood determiberant defiant Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing - public speaking - personal branding Key Concepts authenticity self-determination Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain authenticity when tools change? - What role does language play in your work? A Different Perspective May limit audience reach if language is inaccessible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dictionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictionary/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Short stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-stories/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I'm going to keep speaking out about what Donald Trump says, because I'm getting messages from leaders around the world who are just bewildered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-m-going-to-keep-speaking-out-about-what-donald-trump-says-because-i/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I think there is an enormous diference between speaking and writing. One rereads what one writes. But one might read it slowly or quickly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-think-there-is-an-enormous-diference-between-speaking-and-writing/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [When I read some of the rules for speaking and writing the English language correctly, I think any fool can make a rule, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-i-read-some-of-the-rules-for-speaking-and-writing-the-english/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [ Among all the liberal arts, the first is logic, and specifically that part of logic which gives initial instruction about words. ... \[T\]he word… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-salisbury/among-all-the-liberal-arts-the-first-is-logic-and-specifically-that/) [John of Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-salisbury/) > [If you can't write your message in a sentence, you can't say it in an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianna-daniels-booher/if-you-can-t-write-your-message-in-a-sentence-you-can-t-say-it-in-an/) Dianna Daniels Booher > [A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/a-fool-may-talk-but-a-wise-man-speaks/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [...words are in a way our godly sharing in the work of creation, and the speaking and writing of words is at once the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/words-are-in-a-way-our-godly-sharing-in-the-work-of-creation-and-the/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Steady labor with the hands, which engrosses the attention also, is unquestionably the best method of removing palaver and sentimentality out of one's style,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/steady-labor-with-the-hands-which-engrosses-the-attention-also-is/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Homo sum humani a me nihil alienum puto”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publius-terentius-afer/homo-sum-humani-a-me-nihil-alienum-puto/) Publius Terentius Afer > [“That?" I glanced back to the door where JT had disappeared. "That was Genus Homo, species Whowantstofuckus , subspecies Closeted Headup Hisassia . Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/z-a-maxfield/that-i-glanced-back-to-the-door-where-jt-had-disappeared-that-was/) [Z.A. Maxfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/z-a-maxfield/) > [Homo Creator's testimony to the sound construction and fine finish of Deus Creatus. A popular form of abjection, having an element of pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/homo-creator-s-testimony-to-the-sound-construction-and-fine-finish-of/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“You do not even think of your own past as quite real; you dress it up, you gild it or blacken it, censor it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/you-do-not-even-think-of-your-own-past-as-quite-real-you-dress-it-up/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [We are placed in the genus of Homo, which is Latin for man - Homo sapiens: supposedly wise men. I sometimes think - wonder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/we-are-placed-in-the-genus-of-homo-which-is-latin-for-man-homo/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [Ever since the Second World War, television signals (as well as FM radio and radar) have served as Homo sapiens' emissaries into deep space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/ever-since-the-second-world-war-television-signals-as-well-as-fm/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [I don't think you can impose limits on science because the very nature of homo sapiens is that he - she - is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/i-don-t-think-you-can-impose-limits-on-science-because-the-very/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Dictionary quotes > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [“I hereby propose the term “miserize”, as a verb for misery – referring to “to cause misery”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-hereby-propose-the-term-miserize-as-a-verb-for-misery-referring-to/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The only place where compensation comes before service is in the dictionary or anywhere the government meddles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-woodward/the-only-place-where-compensation-comes-before-service-is-in-the/) [Orrin Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-woodward/) > [What's a depression? The dictionary says a depression is a dent. And what's a dent? Everybody knows a dent is a hole. And what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-durante/what-s-a-depression-the-dictionary-says-a-depression-is-a-dent-and/) [Jimmy Durante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-durante/) > [Cults use our vocabulary, but they don't use our dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/cults-use-our-vocabulary-but-they-don-t-use-our-dictionary/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [“Every dictionary contains a world. I open a book of thieves’ slang from Queen Anne’s reign and they have a hundred words for swords,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/every-dictionary-contains-a-world-i-open-a-book-of-thieves-slang-from/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [I've been in 'Who's Who' and I know what's what, but it'll be the first time I ever made the dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/i-ve-been-in-who-s-who-and-i-know-what-s-what-but-it-ll-be-the-first/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [Everybody talks about being a role model. But if you look up the word 'role' in a dictionary, it describes playing a part. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/everybody-talks-about-being-a-role-model-but-if-you-look-up-the-word/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [“We have control on every word of the dictionary except for the 2:; "Death" and "Heart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-tak/we-have-control-on-every-word-of-the-dictionary-except-for-the-2/) [Nikita Tak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-tak/) > [Weird itself, even in the dictionary, is just something that is different and unexplainable. A weirdo is someone who follows their heart. Im definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-cudi/weird-itself-even-in-the-dictionary-is-just-something-that-is/) [Kid Cudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-cudi/) > [I'm not sure what to call 'Lego Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary.' Nonfiction? Movie/toy fiction? But it is any Lego/'Star Wars' kid's dream. Call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/i-m-not-sure-what-to-call-lego-star-wars-the-visual-dictionary/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [“A dictionary is a ship that crosses the sea of words,” said Araki, with a sense that he was laying bare his innermost soul.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shion-miura/a-dictionary-is-a-ship-that-crosses-the-sea-of-words-said-araki-with/) [Shion Miura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shion-miura/) > [There is a word Kristos in the Greek dictionary, and this word is supposed to be borrowed from the Sanskrit word "Krishna," and Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-bhaktivedanta-swami-prabhupada/there-is-a-word-kristos-in-the-greek-dictionary-and-this-word-is/) [A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-bhaktivedanta-swami-prabhupada/) > [If you look in the dictionary under 'perfectionist,' you see Henry Selick correcting the definition of perfectionist in the dictionary. I mean, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/if-you-look-in-the-dictionary-under-perfectionist-you-see-henry/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I'm pretty sure that if you looked up the word "nuts" in the dictionary, you'll find my picture. Just another fun feature of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-m-pretty-sure-that-if-you-looked-up-the-word-nuts-in-the-dictionary/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) [Browse all 550 Dictionary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictionary/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Homo Americanus is going to go on speaking and writing the way he always has, no matter what dictionary he owns.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaking-and-writing-the-way-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dictionary" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaking-and-writing-the-way-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/kurt-vonnegut-41_dictionary_homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaki_2484660.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/kurt-vonnegut-41_dictionary_homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaki_2484660.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d88/kurt-vonnegut-41_dictionary_homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaki_2484660.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Homo Americanus is going to go on speaking and writing the way he always has, no matter what dictionary he…” — Kurt Vonnegut", "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": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Homo Americanus is going to go...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaking-and-writing-the-way-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/homo-americanus-is-going-to-go-on-speaking-and-writing-the-way-he/#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 } } ] } ```