“On the poor use of grammar It's a matter of usage. If a house is off-plumb and rickety and lets in the wind, you blame the mason, not the bricks. Our words are up to the job. It's our syntax that's limiting.”

—  Tom Robbins , Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates

Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates (2000)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update July 15, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "On the poor use of grammar It's a matter of usage. If a house is off-plumb and rickety and lets in the wind, you blame …" by Tom Robbins?
Tom Robbins photo
Tom Robbins 250
American writer 1932

Related quotes

John F. Kennedy photo

“Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past, let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) 35th president of the United States of America
Marshall McLuhan photo

“New media are new languages, their grammar and syntax yet unknown.”

Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980) Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar-- a professor of English literature, a literary critic, and a …

Source: 1980s, Laws of Media: The New Science (with Eric McLuhan) (1988), p. 229

Joseph Campbell photo

“Marx teaches us to blame society for our frailties, Freud teaches us to blame our parents, and astrology teaches us to blame the universe. The only place to look for blame is within: you didn't have the guts to bring up your full moon and live the life that was your potential.”

Joseph Campbell (1904–1987) American mythologist, writer and lecturer

Source: Pathways to Bliss (2004), p. 104

Ray Bradbury photo

“You ask Why to a lot of things and you wind up very unhappy indeed, if you keep at it. The poor girl's better off dead”

Ray Bradbury book Fahrenheit 451

Source: Fahrenheit 451

Randy Pausch photo

“Remember brick walls let us show our dedication. They are there to separate us from the people who don't really want to achieve their childhood dreams.”

Randy Pausch book The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture (2007)

Nelson Mandela photo

“Tomorrow, the entire ANC leadership and I will be back at our desks. We are rolling up our sleeves to begin tackling the problems our country faces. We ask you all to join us — go back to your jobs in the morning. Let's get South Africa working.
For we must, together and without delay, begin to build a better life for all South Africans. This means creating jobs building houses, providing education and bringing peace and security for all.”

Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) President of South Africa, anti-apartheid activist

1990s, Victory speech (1994)

Genesis P-Orridge photo

“Information is like a bank. Some of us are rich. Some of us are poor with information. All of us can be rich. Our job, your job is to rob the bank. To kill the guard…”

Genesis P-Orridge (1950) British musician and writer
George MacDonald photo

“If we will but let our God and Father work His will with us, there can be no limit to His enlargement of our existence”

George MacDonald (1824–1905) Scottish journalist, novelist

Source: Unspoken Sermons: Series I, II, III

John F. Kennedy photo

“Let us not despair but act. Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past — let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) 35th president of the United States of America

Remarks at "Loyola College Alumni Banquet, Baltimore, Maryland (18 February 1958) http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/Ready-Reference/JFK-Quotations.aspx; Box 899, Senate Speech Files, John F. Kennedy Papers, Pre-Presidential Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Pre-1960

Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar photo

“Brethren, let me close with a note of buoyant optimism and also a word of caution that masonry is not always on trial, but we, as Masons, are perpetually on trial. Let us remind ourselves that Masonry represents Manhood at its best and let me venture to express the hope that in building the City of Fraternity or what W. M Mallaradya more appropriately calls it, the Ideal Temple of Humanity and in fostering its growth, we shall be able to qualify ourselves to be men of true enlightenment, character, integrity, gentility and sympathetic understanding and Masons with a burning desire to dedicate ourselves to the service of humanity in our own limited sphere of activity.”

Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1919–1974) Indian writer

In his address to the members of the Masonic Fraternity on the occassion of his joining as member of the Masonic Lodge. quoted in "Article # 14 Initiate responds to his Toast R.W.Bro. Jaya Chamaraja Wadeyar".

Related topics