Speech Quotes

Of all the talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory !!

True eloquence consists in saying all that should be said, and that only.

The actual life of a thought lasts only until it reaches the point of speech...As soon as our thinking has found words it ceases to be sincere...When it begins to exist in others it ceases to live in us, just as the child severs itself from its mother when it enters into its own existence.

The receptive attitude enables one mind to fix itself to another as by spiritual grappling-irons. When you see that every word you utter us taken in, and weighed, and measured by your listener, you cannot free yourself from the influence of his presence. You are compelled to have in your thoughts not only the words you utter, but the man to whom they are spoken. You must not only talk, and talk well, but you must talk to him.

The aim of talk should be like the aim of a flying arrow -- to hit the mark; but to this end there must be a mark to hit, that is, there must be a listener.

It is the way of my people to use light words at such times and say less than they mean. We fear to say too much. It robs us of the right words when a jest is out of place.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

True freedom is the right to say something that others don't want to hear.

I prefer silent prudence to loquacious folly.

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you-trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and as I may say, the whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness.

Even four harnessed horses cannot bring imprudent words back into the mouth.

Thou weigh'st thy words before thou givest them breath.

"Lawyers Are": Perilous mouths.

Wise men speak because they have something to say

A gentleman wishes to be slow to speak and quick to act.

I was very glad that Mr. Attlee described my speeches in the war as expressing the will not only of Parliament but of the whole nation. Their will was resolute and remorseless and, as it proved, unconquerable. It fell to me to express it, and if I found the right words you must remember that I have always earned my living by my pen and by my tongue. It was a nation and race dwelling all round the globe that had the lion heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar.

It was not the man's brain that was speaking; it was his larynx.

In good speaking, should not the mind of the speaker know the truth of the matter about which he is to speak.

The music that can deepest reach and cure all ill is cordial speech.

In making a speech one must study three points: first, the means of producing persuasion; second, the language; third the proper arrangement of the various parts of the speech.

People like me sound like a lot of big cannons.

Silence is only commendableIn a neat's tongue dried, and a maid not vendible.

The common fluency of speech in many men, and most women, is owing to a scarcity of matter and a scarcity of words; for whosoever is a master of language, and hath a mind full of ideas, will be apt, in speaking, to hesitate upon the choice of both.

My plainness of speech makes people hate me, and what is their hatred but a proof that I am speaking the truth.

No one knows who is listening, say nothing you would not wish put in the newspapers.

The stations of uncensored expression are closing down; the lights are going out; but there is still time for those to whom freedom and parliamentary government mean something, to consult together. Let me, then, speak in truth and earnestness while time remains.

I prefer silent prudence to loquacious folly.[Lat., Malo indisertam prudentiam, quam loquacem stultitiam.]

Wisdom is worried for being slow in its speech and expeditious in its actions.

Definite speech means clarity of mind.

A good speech should be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest

We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less.

More words ain't good for anything in the world only to bring on more argument.

Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. It is to bring another out of his bad sense into your good sense.

You can be a little ungrammatical if you come from the right part of the country.

I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody.

Let nobody speak mischief of anybody.

Dumb as a drum vith a hole in it, sir.

For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth, Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech, To stir men's blood: I only speak right on; I tell you that which you yourselves do know.

The virtuous will be sure to speak uprightly; but those whose speech is upright may not be virtuous.

George Bernard Shaw of England stopped over just long enough to make one speech in Bombay, India, started a war and 100 Indians killed each other. That's what I call good speech-making. The only enthusiasm any of our speakers can rouse is a demand to kill the speaker.

A thought Of that late death took all my heart for speech.

For one word a man is often deemed to be wise, and for one word he is often deemed to be foolish. We should be careful indeed what we say.

A wise man speaks because he has something to say; a fool because he has to say something.

Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear

Speech after long silence; it is right, All other lovers being estranged or dead . . . That we descant and yet again descant Upon the supreme theme of Art and Song: Bodily decrepitude is wisdom; young We loved each other and were ignorant.

The best and most telling speech is not the actual impromptu one but the counterfeit of it.

It is absurd to hold that a man ought to be ashamed of being unable to defend himself with his limbs, but not of being unable to defend himself with speech and reason, when the use of rational speech is more distinctive of a human being than the use of his limbs.

Speak not evil of the absent for it is unjust.

it wasn't by accident that the Gettysburg address was so short.

Solon used to say that speech was the image of actions; . . . that laws were like cobwebs, - for that if any trifling or powerless thing fell into them, they held it fast; while if it were something weightier, it broke through them and was off.

I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech - alike for the humblest man and the mightiest, and in the utmost freedom of conduct that is consistent with living in organizedsociety.

A word too much always defeats its purpose.

I was stupid enough to think that we ought to speak the truth about each person eulogised, and to make this the foundation, and from these truths to choose the most beautiful things and arrange them in the most elegant way; and I was quite proud to think how well I should speak, because I believed that I knew the truth.

This fellow pecks up wit, as pigeons peas; And utters it again when God doth please: He is wit's pedler; and retails his wares.

In speaking, it is best to be clear and say just enough to convey the meaning.

Men use thought only as authority for their injustice, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.

I have often repented of speech but hardly ever of silence.

Words spoken can not be recalled so think twice before you speak.

Threats to freedom of speech, writing and action, though often trivial in isolation, are cumulative in their effect and, unless checked, lead to a general disrespect for the rights of the citizen.

Coolidge made less speeches and got more votes than any man that ever run. (William Jennings) Bryan was listened to and cheered by more people than any single human in politics, and he lost. So there is a doubt just whether talking does you good or harm.