Arthur Conan Doyle Quotes About Language

Quotes about: Language

• Any truth is better than indefinite doubt.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Book, Historical, Doubt

  Arthur Conan Doyle (2012). “The Sherlock Holmes Archives (incl. The Truth About Sherlock Holmes)”, p.654, Jazzybee Verlag

• It is not really difficult to construct a series of inferences, each dependent upon its predecessor and each simple in itself. If, after doing so, one simply knocks out all the central inferences and presents one's audience with the starting-point and the conclusion, one may produce a startling, though perhaps a meretricious, effect.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Book, Simple, Simplicity

  Sherlock Holmes in "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" (1903).

• We had got as far as this, when who should walk in but the gentleman himself, who had been drinking his beer in the taproom and had heard the whole conversation. Who was I? What did I want? What did I mean by asking questions? He had a fine flow of language, and his adjectives were very vigorous.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Humorous, Drinking, Mean

  Arthur Conan Doyle, General Press (2016). “The Complete Sherlock Holmes: All 56 Stories & 4 Novels”, p.425, GENERAL PRESS

• I said that he was my superior in observation and deduction. If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from an armchair, my brother would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived. But he has no ambition and no energy. He will not even go out of his way to verify his own solutions, and would rather be considered wrong than take the trouble to prove himself right.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Art, Brother, Book

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, David Stuart Davies (1998). “The Best of Sherlock Holmes”, p.200, Wordsworth Editions

• The whole force of the State is at your back if you should need it. I'm afraid that all the queen's horses and all the queen's men cannot avail in this matter.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Horse, Queens, Book

  Arthur Conan Doyle (2013). “The Complete Sherlock Holmes”, p.967, Race Point Publishing

• The setting is a worthy one, if the devil did desire to have a hand in the affairs of men.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Book, Men, Hands

  Arthur Conan Doyle (2010). “Hound of the Baskervilles”, p.32, Bibliolis Books

• He foresaw that she would be very much more useful to him in the character of a free woman.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Book, Character, Would Be

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2015). “Sherlock Holmes: The Novels: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)”, p.244, Penguin

• Far away on the path we saw Sir Henry looking back, his face white in the moonlight, his hands raised in horror, glaring helplessly at the frightful thing which was hunting him down. But that cry of pain from the hound had blown all our fears to the winds. If he was vulnerable he was mortal, and if we could wound him we could kill him. Never have I seen a man run as Holmes ran that night.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Running, Pain, Book

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2014). “Sherlock Holmes Complete Collection With illustrated Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - 4 Novels, 56 Short Stories and 120+ illustrations”, p.865, Ageless Reads

• It is always a joy to meet an American, Mr. Moulton, for I am one of those who believes that the folly of a monarch and the blundering of a minister in far-gone years will not prevent our children from being some day citizens of the same world-wide country under a flag which shall be a quartering of the Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Country, Stars, Children

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1892). “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, p.250

• As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is, the less mysterious it proves to be.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Book, Mysterious, Language

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1892). “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, p.43

• Have you tried to drive a harpoon through a body? No? Tut, tut, my dear sir, you must really pay attention to these details.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Book, Details, Attention

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2013). “Collected Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Delphi Classics)”, p.905, Delphi Classics

• By a man's finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser-knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt-cuff — By each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable. You know that a conjurer gets no credit when once he has explained his trick; and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Book, Men, Expression

• His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing... My surprise reached a climax, however, when I found incidentally that he was ignorant of the Copernican Theory and of the composition of the Solar System.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Philosophy, Book, Ignorance

  Arthur Conan Doyle, General Press (2016). “The Complete Sherlock Holmes: All 56 Stories & 4 Novels”, p.1316, GENERAL PRESS

• A fine thought in fine language is a most precious jewel, and should not be hid away, but be exposed for use and ornament.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Jewels, Ornaments, Use

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2013). “Collected Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Delphi Classics)”, p.7963, Delphi Classics

• You mentioned your name as if I should recognize it, but beyond the obvious facts that you are a bachelor, a solicitor, a freemason, and an asthmatic, I know nothing whatever about you.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Book, Names, Facts

  Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905) "The Norwood Builder"

• There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less and a cleaner, better stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared.

  Arthur Conan Doyle

  Lying, Book, Sunshine

  Arthur Conan Doyle (2007). “The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories: The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (Non-slipcased Edition) (Vol. 2) (The Annotated Books)”, p.1443, W. W. Norton & Company

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