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Never assume the obvious is true.

William Safire

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William Safire
Age: 79 †
Born: 1929
Born: December 17
Died: 2009
Died: September 27
Author
Columnist
Journalist
Writer
New York City
New York
William Lewis Safire
Obvious
True
Truth
Never
Obviousness
Assumption
Assume
Assuming

More quotes by William Safire

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On the analogy of 'Dictionary Johnson,' we call Fred R. Shapiro, editor of the just-published Yale Book of Quotations (well worth the $50 price), 'Quotationeer Shapiro.' Shapiro does original research, earning his 1,067-page volume a place on the quotation shelf next to Bartlett's and Oxford's.
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Dangling punch lines to forgotten stories remain in the language like the smile of the Cheshire cat.
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The first ladyship is the only federal office in which the holder can neither be fired nor impeached.
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What a joy it is to see really professional media manipulation.
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If America cannot win a war in a week, it begins negotiating with itself.
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Some handsome and ambitious men believe they are above all morality, and a woman's virtue becomes a mere challenge to them.
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Sir Alec Douglas-Home, when he was British Foreign Secretary, said he received the following telegram from an irate citizen: To hell with you. Offensive letter follows.
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By elevating your reading, you will improve your writing or at least tickle your thinking.
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Previously known for its six syllables of sweetness and light, reconciliation has become the political fighting word of the year.
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A reader should be able to identify a column without its byline or funny little picture on top purely by look or feel, or its turgidity ratio.
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I could get a better education interviewing John Steinbeck than talking to an English professor about novels.
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When duty calls, that is when character counts.
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Only in grammar can you be more than perfect.
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When I need to know the meaning of a word, I look it up in a dictionary.
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Different regions may require different strategies, as President Bush has noted, but not different basic principles. It's either collective security or selective security.
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A book should have an intellectual shape and a heft that comes with dealing with a primary subject.
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The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right.
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Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation, and is thus a source of civilized delight.
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The CEO era gave rise to the CFO (not certified flying object, as you might imagine, but chief financial officer) and, most recently, the CIO, chief investment officer, a nice boost for the bookkeeper you can't afford to give a raise . . .
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I'm willing to zap conservatives when they do things that are not libertarian.
William Safire