“Son—they say there isn’t any royalty in this country, but do you want me to tell you how to be king of the United States of America? Just fall through the hole in a privy and come out smelling like a rose.”

—  Kurt Vonnegut, book The Sirens of Titan

Source: The Sirens of Titan (1959), Chapter 3 “United Hotcake Preferred” (p. 65; epigram)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 27, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Son—they say there isn’t any royalty in this country, but do you want me to tell you how to be king of the United State…" by Kurt Vonnegut?
Kurt Vonnegut photo
Kurt Vonnegut318
American writer 1922–2007

Related quotes

“But just let me tell you something, son, a woman's love is like the morning dew, it's just as apt to settle on a horse turd as it is on a rose. So you better just get over it.”

Larry McMurtry (1936) American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter

Source: Leaving Cheyenne

Charan Singh photo

“That abolition of the privy purse will strengthen and ensure success of democracy is pure bunkum. Advanced countries like Britain and Japan are not less democratic or less progressive for the maintenance of their kings and princes. Royalty was not abolished even by socialist parties when they came to power in these countries.”

Charan Singh (1902–1987) prime minister of India

His reaction to the abolition of princes’ Privy purses by Indira Gandhi, p. 206
Profiles of Indian Prime Ministers

“Altidore to lay it down, Bradley! Bradley, has done it! USA are level! The comeback kings, strike again! Michael Bradley, for the USA! What a moment! 'Thank you son', says Bob Bradley. And I think the whole of the United States of America, says 'thank you' too. To Michael Bradley.”

Ian Darke (1950) British association football and boxing commentator

Slovenia v. United States https://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=GKij589kEiI (18 June 2010). <br class="br">2010s, 2010, 2010 FIFA World Cup <br class="br">Context: Certainly rolling the dice now. Bob Bradley as he had to, really. Here&#x27;s his son, Michael Bradley. Decent effort. Donovan, the man whose goal has given the United States at least hope. Altidore to lay it down, Bradley! Bradley, has done it! USA are level! The comeback kings, strike again! Michael Bradley, for the USA! What a moment! &#x27;Thank you son&#x27;, says Bob Bradley. And I think the whole of the United States of America, says &#x27;thank you&#x27; too. To Michael Bradley.

Barack Obama photo

“Markets will rise and fall, but this is the United States of America. No matter what some agency may say, we've always been and always will be a AAA country.”

Barack Obama (1961) 44th President of the United States of America

On the credit rating agency Standard &amp; Poor&#x27;s decision to downgrade the USA&#x27;s credit rating, as quoted in Obama Counsels Calm, but No Deal Is in Sight http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/us/politics/09obama.html&quot;, The New York Times (8 August 2011)] <br class="br">2011, Remarks on the economy (July 2011)

Tom Clancy photo

“I've been telling people for 12 years that if you want to get a nuclear device into the United States, just bring it through the port of Miami disguised as cocaine.”

Tom Clancy (1947–2013) American author

2000s, Kudlow & Cramer interview (2003)

P.G. Wodehouse photo

“What I want to know is what a fellow does when he plays golf. Tell me in as few words as you can just what it's all about. -- You hit a ball with a stick until it falls into a hole.”

P.G. Wodehouse (1881–1975) English author

"The Heel of Achilles"
The Clicking Of Cuthbert (1922)

Dean Winslow photo

“I’d also like to, I may get in trouble with other members of the committee, just say how insane it is that in the United States of America a civilian can go out and buy a semiautomatic assault rifle like an AR-15.”

Dean Winslow (1953)

November 7, 2017 in his confirmation hearing before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services ([Pentagon health nominee: It's 'insane' civilians can purchase assault weapons, Conner, O’Brien, November 7, 2017, August 29, 2018, Politico, https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/07/trump-pentagon-nominee-insane-civilians-can-purchase-assault-weapons-244651]; [Trump DoD nominee: 'Insane' that civilians can buy assault rifles, Zachary, Cohen, November 7, 2017, August 29, 2018, CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/07/politics/trump-pentagon-nominee-assault-rifles/index.html]; [Top Trump Pentagon nominee: It's 'insane' that civilians can buy semiautomatic assault rifles, Elizabeth, McLaughlin, November 7, 2017, August 29, 2018, ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/US/top-trump-pentagon-nominee-insane-civilians-buy-semi/story?id=50996546]; [w:James Fallows, James, Fallows, November 12, 2017, More on the Military and Civilian History of the AR-15, The Atlantic, August 29, 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2017/11/on-the-military-and-civilian-history-of-the-ar-15/545660/]; [I spoke my mind on guns. Then my Senate confirmation was put on hold, w:Dean Winslow, Dean, Winslow, December 20, 2017, September 6, 2018, The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-spoke-my-mind-on-guns-it-torpedoed-my-appointment-in-the-trump-administration/2017/12/20/8f708f6c-e50d-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html]).

Allen West (politician) photo

“So, what exactly are these folks protesting, and how does disrespecting the national anthem and the flag of the United States of America have to do with any of this? Doggone, like the United Negro College Fund commercial used to say, “a mind is a terrible thing to waste.””

Allen West (politician) (1961) American politician; retired United States Army officer

2010s, Folks, you’re missing the point about the NFL protests (19 October 2017)

Hillary Clinton photo

“I wish [my mother] could have seen the America we’re going to build together. An America, where if you do your part, you reap the rewards. Where we don’t leave anyone out, or anyone behind. An America where a father can tell his daughter: yes, you can be anything you want to be. Even President of the United States.”

Hillary Clinton (1947) American politician, senator, Secretary of State, First Lady

Campaign kickoff speech (June 13, 2015) https://www.hillaryclinton.com/feed/campaign-kickoff-speech/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=fb&amp;utm_campaign=20150613genius_social# <br class="br">Presidential campaign (April 12, 2015 – 2016)

“To all the people out there, you know just live out your dreams, if you dream something, just pursue it and do it because if you can put your mind to it you can do basically anything and everything you want to. I mean look at me, I came from a country that was falling apart because of communism and escaping to America, not knowing the language and then not learning it from beginning, and overcoming that and where I am now, you know it just shows you that if you put your mind to it you can do anything you want to.”

Thuy Trang (1973–2001) Vietnamese actress (1973-2001)

Thuy Trang Interview (Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Stars) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwNZAqDAFng&amp;t=54s&amp;ab_channel=DietColaTime (1995)

Related topics