Author

The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right.

If you re-read your work, you can find on re-reading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by re-reading and editing.

From William Safire

I welcome new words, or old words used in new ways, provided the result is more precision, added color or greater expressiveness.

From William Safire

Never assume the obvious is true.

From William Safire

What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate nor confederate will do, and partner is too legalistic. The answer brought from academia to the political world by Henry Kissinger and now bandied in the boardroom is colleague. It has a nice upper-egalitarian feel, related to the good fellowship of collegial.

From William Safire

When infuriated by an outrageous column, do not be suckered into responding with an abusive e-mail. Pundits so targeted thumb through these red-faced electronic missives with delight, saying 'Hah! Got to 'em.'

From William Safire

Stop worrying about the 'dumbing down' of our language by bloggers, tweeters, cableheads and MSM thumbsuckers engaged in a 'race to the bottom' of the page by little minds confined to little words.

From William Safire

I think we all have a need to know what we do not need to know.

From William Safire

Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.

From William Safire

The noun phrase straw man, now used as a compound adjective as in 'straw-man device, technique or issue,' was popularized in American culture by 'The Wizard of Oz.'

From William Safire

William Safire

Notable Quotes

Authors with Similar Views

Erin McKean

Dave Barry

Zach Gilford

Benjamin Franklin

Chrisette Michele

Authors with Opposing Views

Antonin Scalia

Charles Simmons

Clint Eastwood

Dani Shapiro

Donnie Wahlberg