--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Friendship is such an elastic word. There…" description: "\"Friendship is such an elastic word. There never was an age when it stood for so many things in private, and was yet so absolutely non-existent in fact...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/ouida-3651_age_friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there_1230506.png" --- # Friendship is such an elastic word. There never was an age… ![“Friendship is such an elastic word. There never was an age when it stood for so many things in private, and was yet so absolutely non-existent in fact.” quote by Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/ouida-3651_age_friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there_1230506.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/ouida-3651_age_friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there_1230506.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/ouida-3651_age_friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there_1230506.png) > “Friendship is such an elastic word. There never was an age when it stood for so many things in private, and was yet so absolutely non-existent in fact.” [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Friendship is a fluid concept, expanding and contracting across time and context. **In simple terms:** Friendship changes meaning over time. Key Takeaway Value flexibility in relationships. Themes relationships language change Mood reflective nostalgic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - social media - cross‑cultural interactions Key Concepts sociology semantics culture Questions to Reflect On - How does modern life reshape friendship? - What aspects of friendship remain constant? A Different Perspective May overlook deep, enduring bonds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Age Stood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-stood-486658/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Friendship Elastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship-elastic-3802974/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Things Private](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-private-863437/) [Word Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-age-1767450/) ## Related quotes > [The most striking thing about Graham's discussion of how to allocate your assets between stocks and bonds is that he never mentions the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-most-striking-thing-about-graham-s-discussion-of-how-to-allocate/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [From a very young age I was someone who stood up for others and myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/from-a-very-young-age-i-was-someone-who-stood-up-for-others-and-myself/) [Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/) > [“They were both at such an age that they stood on a cusp. They could think in one part of their minds that their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-frazier/they-were-both-at-such-an-age-that-they-stood-on-a-cusp-they-could/) [Charles Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-frazier/) > [“For an age we stood there like that, me holding him by the collar of his jacket and kissing him for all I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-clement-moore/for-an-age-we-stood-there-like-that-me-holding-him-by-the-collar-of/) [Rosemary Clement-Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-clement-moore/) > [I don't mind letting people in a little bit, but I have learned from the past not to talk too much about my relationships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leona-lewis/i-don-t-mind-letting-people-in-a-little-bit-but-i-have-learned-from/) [Leona Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leona-lewis/) > [This whole thing about announcing stuff and sharing it online is a new phenomenon. Keeping things private is really, really easy and simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adina-porter/this-whole-thing-about-announcing-stuff-and-sharing-it-online-is-a/) [Adina Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adina-porter/) > [If you don't want something to exist - and there are many reasons to want to keep things private - keep it off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/if-you-don-t-want-something-to-exist-and-there-are-many-reasons-to/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [Some things are private. Some things needed to be said, even when the person who needed to hear them couldn’t hear anything. Ever again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/some-things-are-private-some-things-needed-to-be-said-even-when-the/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [“ It's dreadfully awkward, your first time. He'll want to do things involving body parts that really shouldn't be keeping company. Just remind yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/it-s-dreadfully-awkward-your-first-time-he-ll-want-to-do-things/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [There are certain things I just don't talk about - there are certain things that are private.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-andre/there-are-certain-things-i-just-don-t-talk-about-there-are-certain/) [Peter Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-andre/) > [You will do things in private and sing in private and make choices in private that you wouldn't make if you were observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristian-bush/you-will-do-things-in-private-and-sing-in-private-and-make-choices-in/) [Kristian Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristian-bush/) > [I think it's important to keep things private, and there are certain boundaries I feel very particular about drawing. It may seem fastidious, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodhi-may/i-think-it-s-important-to-keep-things-private-and-there-are-certain/) [Jodhi May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodhi-may/) > [If you want things to be private then keep them off a public website](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-things-to-be-private-then-keep-them-off-a-public-website/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Some things are private. I mean, we're grown-ups now. You don't share everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/some-things-are-private-i-mean-we-re-grown-ups-now-you-don-t-share/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [I prefer things that are private, so I love recording and I love making films, as a filmmaker, because it uses every bit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/i-prefer-things-that-are-private-so-i-love-recording-and-i-love/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) ## More by Ouida > [Sport inevitably creates deadness of feeling. No one could take pleasure in it who was sensitive to suffering; and therefore its pursuit by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/sport-inevitably-creates-deadness-of-feeling-no-one-could-take/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Indifference is the invincible grant of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/indifference-is-the-invincible-grant-of-the-world/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [When you talk yourself, you think how witty, how original, how acute you are; but when another does so, you are very apt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/when-you-talk-yourself-you-think-how-witty-how-original-how-acute-you/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Indifference is the invisible giant of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/indifference-is-the-invisible-giant-of-the-world/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [There is nothing that you may not get people to believe in if you will only tell it them loud enough and often enough,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/there-is-nothing-that-you-may-not-get-people-to-believe-in-if-you/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [To vice, innocence must always seem only a superior kind of chicanery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/to-vice-innocence-must-always-seem-only-a-superior-kind-of-chicanery/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [An easy-going husband is the one indispensable comfort of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/an-easy-going-husband-is-the-one-indispensable-comfort-of-life/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Christianity has ever been the enemy of human love; it has forever cursed and expelled and crucified the one passion which sweetens and smiles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/christianity-has-ever-been-the-enemy-of-human-love-it-has-forever/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Genius scorns the power of gold: it is wrong. Gold is the war-scythe on its chariot, which mows down the millions of its foes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/genius-scorns-the-power-of-gold-it-is-wrong-gold-is-the-war-scythe-on/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [There is a self-evident axiom, that she who is born a beauty is half married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/there-is-a-self-evident-axiom-that-she-who-is-born-a-beauty-is-half/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [No great talker ever did any great thing yet, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/no-great-talker-ever-did-any-great-thing-yet-in-this-world/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [The philosopher stands at his desk in the lecture hall, and demonstrates away the soul of man, and with exact thought measures out his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/the-philosopher-stands-at-his-desk-in-the-lecture-hall-and/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [The song that we hear with our ears is only the song that is sung in our hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/the-song-that-we-hear-with-our-ears-is-only-the-song-that-is-sung-in/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [It is a kind of blindness--poverty. We can only grope through life when we are poor, hitting and maiming ourselves against every angle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/it-is-a-kind-of-blindness-poverty-we-can-only-grope-through-life-when/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [A just chastisement may benefit a man, though it seldom does; but an unjust one changes all his blood to gall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/a-just-chastisement-may-benefit-a-man-though-it-seldom-does-but-an/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) [Explore all 125 Ouida quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Friendship is such an elastic word. There never was an age when it stood for so many things in private, and was yet so absolutely non-existent in fact.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ouida" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there-never-was-an-age-when-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Age" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there-never-was-an-age-when-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/ouida-3651_age_friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there_1230506.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/ouida-3651_age_friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there_1230506.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/ouida-3651_age_friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there_1230506.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Friendship is such an elastic word. There never was an age when it stood for so many things in private, and…” — Ouida", "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": "Ouida", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Friendship is such an elastic word....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there-never-was-an-age-when-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/friendship-is-such-an-elastic-word-there-never-was-an-age-when-it/#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 } } ] } ```