Englishmen Quotes - Page 10

• In the same period that the Americans have lived under one constitution our French friends notched up five. A Punch cartoon has a 19th century Englishman asking a librarian for a copy of the French constitution, only to be told: 'I am sorry Sir, we do not stock periodicals.'

  Margaret Thatcher

  Sorry, Cartoon, Asking

  Margaret Thatcher, Iain Dale (1997). “As I said to Denis--: the Margaret Thatcher book of quotations”, Robson Book Ltd

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• The best-dressed man is an Italian who is trying to look English, or an Englishman who is trying to look Italian.

  Diane von Furstenberg

  Italian, Men, Trying

  "Glamour is so important". Interview with Jess Cartner-Morley, www.theguardian.com. September 12, 2003.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• ...and was disposed too often to idealize as a virtue that habit of mean subservience to wealth and social position which, after more than half a century of political democracy, is still the characteristic and odious vice of the Englishman.

  R. H. Tawney

  Mean, Political, Democracy

  R. H. Tawney (2016). “Religion And The Rise Of Capitalism”, p.166, Verso Books

  6 Copy quote

  Show source

• The Sudanese have delighted me, not only in their generosity and simplicity, but also in their tendency to take tea with milk and not to hesitate to dunk biscuits in it. As an Englishman, you can imagine the feeling of fraternal closeness that this activity has generated.

  Tom Allen

  Generosity, Simplicity, Feelings

  6 Copy quote

• Americans and Englishmen, when they become acquainted with the Balkans, feel an astonished contempt when they study the mutual enmities of Bulgarians and Serbs, of Hungarians and Rumanians. It is evident to them that these enmities are absurd and that the belief of each little nation in its own superiority has no objective basis. But most of them are quite unable to see that the national pride of a Great Power is essentially as unjustifiable as that of a little Balkan country.

  Bertrand Russell

  Country, Pride, Enmity

  Bertrand Russell (1996). “Unpopular Essays”, p.170, Psychology Press

  12 Copy quote

  Show source

• I want the marginality to come into the center. This is the thing I was conscious of growing up, when I later lived in England. I saw all these war movies that came out shortly after the war, and they were all about the war being fought by Englishmen or Americans, there were no other "allies" in it - from India or Australia, etc.

  Michael Ondaatje

  Growing Up, War, Australia

  Source: www.guernicamag.com

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• How come the Chinese can go where I can't go in America? Englishmen can come and set up a business in white America and do things I can't do.The Puerto Rican, Hawaiians, just about everybody can do more than black people and are more respected.

  Muhammad Ali

  White, America, People

  Interview with Michael Parkinson, www.mirror.co.uk. October 17, 1971.

  5 Copy quote

  Show source

• The Liberty of the press is the Palladium of all the civil, political and religious rights of an Englishman.

  Junius

  Religious, Rights, Political

  'The Letters of Junius' (1772 ed.) 'Dedication to the English Nation'

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• I grew up in a brick house. What's wrong with bricks? An Englishman took me aside and said, "You have to understand, all the bricklayers in England are Irish, and the English hate the Irish."

  Carl Andre

  Hate, House, Bricks

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

  8 Copy quote

  Show source

• I was a terrible dancer. I dance like an Englishman.

  John Cleese

  Dancer, Terrible

  "Early On, Comedian John Cleese Says, He Had Good Timing But Little Else". "Fresh Air" with Dave Davies, www.npr.org. October 16, 2015.

  6 Copy quote

  Show source

• The effect of AIDS was like a war in a minute country. Like, in World War I, a whole generation of Englishmen died all at once. And with AIDS, a whole generation of gay men died practically all at once, within a couple of years.

  Fran Lebowitz

  Country, Couple, War

  "The Voice: Fran Lebowitz". Interview with Francesco Clemente, www.interviewmagazine.com. March 11, 2016.

  9 Copy quote

  Show source

• If any Englishman said he has never called a Chinaman a chink he is lying. There is nothing bad about doing that. It is like calling the British Brits, or the Irish Paddies.

  Dave Whelan

  Lying, Calling, Paddy

  "Forfeit Whelan's donations over 'antisemitic' comments, says Labour" by Nicholas Watt, www.theguardian.com. November 21, 2014.

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• Ask any man what nationality he would prefer to be, and ninety nine out of a hundred will tell you that they would prefer to be Englishmen

  Cecil Rhodes

  Men, Ninety Nine, Hundred

  133 Copy quote

• Englishmen do like to get in a dress, any excuse.

  Noel Fielding

  Dresses, Excuse

  4 Copy quote

• Man has the supreme knack of deceiving himself; the Englishman is supremest among men.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Men, Knack, Deceiving

  Mahatma Gandhi, U. R. Rao (1963). “The Way to Communal Harmony”, Ahmedabad, [India] : Navajivan Publishing House

  27 Copy quote

  Show source

• We Indians are one as no two Englishmen are.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Two, India

  Mahatma Gandhi, Rudrangshu Mukherjee (1993). “The Penguin Gandhi Reader”, p.25, Penguin Books India

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• My motto is "Unite now, today if you can; fight if you must. But in every case avoid British intervention."

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Fighting, Today, Language

  Mahatma Gandhi (1967). “Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi”

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• The British are weak in numbers, we are weak in spite of our numbers.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Numbers, Language, Weak

  Mahatma Gandhi (2005). “All Men Are Brothers”, p.142, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• My conception of dominion status implies present ability to severe the British connection if I wish to.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Wish, Connections, Dominion

  4 Copy quote

• The British power is the overlord without whom Indian princes cannot breathe.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Language, Breathe, British

  4 Copy quote

• India is less manly under the British rule than she ever was before.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  India, Language, British

  Mahatma Gandhi (2012). “The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas”, p.152, Vintage

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• That I want to destroy British imperialism is another matter, but I want to do so by converting those who are associated with it.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Want, Matter, Language

  Mahatma Gandhi (1958). “Collected Works”

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• The Britisher is the top dog and the Indian the underdog in his own country.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Country, Dog, Language

  Mahatma Gandhi (1942). “Quit India”

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• There is as much need for a change of heart among the Hindus and Mussalmans as there is among the British, before a proper settlement is arrived at.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Heart, Needs, Language

  Mahatma Gandhi (1967). “Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi”

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• Will Great Britain have an unwilling India dragged into war or a willing ally co-operating with her in the prosecution of a defence of true democracy?

  Mahatma Gandhi

  War, Democracy, Allies

  Mahatma Gandhi (1958). “Collected Works”

  4 Copy quote

  Show source