“When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more, nor less.”

“I think of you as a friend. I used to think "friend" was just another word… Nothing more, nothing less. But when I met you, I realized what was important was the word's meaning.”

“…what I mean by Socialism is a condition of society in which there should be neither rich nor poor, neither master nor master's man, neither idle nor overworked, neither brain­slack brain workers, nor heart­sick hand workers, in a word, in which all men would be living in equality of condition, and would manage their affairs unwastefully, and with the full consciousness that harm to one would mean harm to all—the realisation at last of the meaning of the word commonwealth.”

“We never choose which words to use, for as long as they mean what they mean to mean, we don’t care if they make sense or nonsense.”

“In the field of education. I refer to the meaning of the word "basic," …the meaning given to this word by some educators is not its "real" meaning. The word "basic,"… has been assigned certain meanings in order to further an education philosophy which is thought to be both sensible and effective…. neither you nor I are under any obligation to accept their definition of what is "basic." …In short, the definition of something is usually the starting point of a dispute, not the settlement.”

“I need words that mean more than they mean, words not just with height and width, but depth and weight and, and other dimensions that I cannot even name.”

“Inconceivable!"
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

“You Keep Using the Word Help. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means”

“When a word is used to provoke hatred, it does not matter what the word actually means. What matters is only what the haters insist it means - the meaning they give it, the common prejudices they exploit.”

“I shall choose friends among men, but neither slaves nor masters. And I shall choose only such as please me, and them I shall love and respect, but neither command nor obey. And we shall join our hands when we wish, or walk alone when we so desire.”