Quotes about frown (155 quotes) | Quotes of famous people

“Hercules, huh? Percy frowned. "That guy was like the Starbucks of Ancient Greece. Everywhere you turn--there he is.”

Rick Riordan The Mark of Athena

Source: The Mark of Athena

Guy

“Everything here is edible; even I'm edible. But that, dear children, is cannibalism, and is in fact frowned upon in most societies.”

Johnny Depp (1963) American actor, film producer, and musician

Children

“Life is a mirror: if you frown at it, it frowns back; if you smile, it returns the greeting.”

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863) novelist

Life , Smile

“A God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it; who gave his angels painless lives, yet cursed his other children with biting miseries and maladies of mind and body; who mouths justice, and invented hell — mouths mercy, and invented hell — mouths Golden Rules and forgiveness multiplied by seventy times seven, and invented hell; who mouths morals to other people, and has none himself; who frowns upon crimes, yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, then tries to shuffle the responsibility for man's acts upon man, instead of honorably placing it where it belongs, upon himself; and finally, with altogether divine obtuseness, invites his poor abused slave to worship him!”

Mark Twain book The Mysterious Stranger

The Mysterious Stranger (1916)

Life , God , Children , People

“I have sought you out to cure me.'
'To cure you of what?'
'Of this cursed affliction.'
'I cannot cure stupidity.'
Scapegrace frowned.”

Derek Landy (1974) Irish children's writer

Source: Death Bringer

Stupidity , Affliction

“A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man's brow.”

Ovid (-43–17 BC) Roman poet

Death , Idea

“Scorn not the Sonnet; Critic, you have frowned,
Mindless of its just honours; with this key
Shakespeare unlocked his heart.”

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) English Romantic poet

Scorn Not the Sonnet, l. 1 (1827).

Heart

““So you are still our Master,” said Sabrina. She was frowning. She had come to be afraid again.
“Not so!” Lucifer turned, almost in rage. “You are your own masters. Your destiny is yours. Your lives are your own. Do you not see that this means an end to the miraculous? You are at the beginning of a new age for Man, an age of investigation and analysis.”
“The Age of Lucifer,” I said, echoing some of His own irony.
He saw the joke in it. He smiled.
“Man, whether he be Christian or pagan, must lean to rule himself, to understand himself, to take responsibility for himself. There can be no Armageddon now. If Man is destroyed, he shall have destroyed himself.”
“So we are to live without aid,” said Sabrina. Her face was clearing.
“And without hindrance,” said Lucifer. “It will be your fellows, your children and their children who will find the Cure for the World’s Pain.”
“Or perish in the attempt,” said I.
“It is a fair risk,” said Lucifer. “And you must remember, von Bek, that it is in my interest that you succeed. I have wisdom and knowledge at your disposal. I always had that gift for Man. And now that I may give it freely I choose not to do so. Each fragment of wisdom shall be earned. And it shall be hard-earned, captain.””

Michael Moorcock book The War Hound and the World's Pain

Source: The War Hound and the World's Pain (1981), Chapter 18 (p. 166)

Wisdom , Pain , Children , Age

“The whole world is bound together as never before; the bonds are sometimes those of hatred rather than love, but they are bonds nevertheless. Frowning or hopeful, every man of leadership in any line of thought or effort must now look beyond the limits of his own country. … For weal or for woe, the peoples of mankind are knit together far closer than ever before.”

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, 26th president of the United States

1910s, The World Movement (1910)

Love , People , World , Hope

“Self-sacrifice is not encouraged by the Satanic religion. Therefore, unless death comes as an indulgence because of extreme circumstances which make the termination of life a welcome relief from the unendurable earthly existence, suicide is frowned upon by the Satanic religion.”

Anton LaVey book The Satanic Bible

The Satanic Bible (1969)

Life , Death , Religion , Suicide

“JG: Can I ask what your feelings are about God?
EV: Sure. I think it's like a movie that was way too popular. It's a story that's been told too many times and just doesn't mean anything. Man lived on the planet -- [placing his fingers an inch apart], this is 5000 years of semi-recorded history. And God and the Bible, that came in somewhere around the middle, maybe 2000. This is the last 2000, this is what we're about to celebrate [indicating about an 1/8th of an inch with his fingers]. Now, humans, in some shape or form, have been on the earth for three million years [pointing across the room to indicate the distance]. So, all this time, from there [gesturing toward the other side of the room], to here [indicating the 1/8th of an inch], there was no God, there was no story, there was no myth and people lived on this planet and they wandered and they gathered and they did all these things. The planet was never threatened. How did they survive for all this time without this belief in God? I'd like to ask this to someone who knows about Christianity and maybe you do. That just seems funny to me… (sic) Funny strange. Funny bad. Funny frown. Not good. That laws are made and wars occur because of this story that was written, again, in this small part of time.”

Eddie Vedder (1964) musician, songwriter, member of Pearl Jam

March 23, 1998, Janeane Garofalo interviewing Eddie Vedder for CMJ New Music Report at Brendan's, on the Lower East Side.

God , War , People , Law

“One of the troubles about vanity is that it grows with what it feeds on. The more you are talked about, the more you will wish to be talked about. The condemned murderer who is allowed to see the account of his trial in the press is indignant if he finds a newspaper which has reported it inadequately. And the more he finds about himself in other newspapers, the more indignant he will be with the one whose reports are meagre. Politicians and literary men are in the same case… It is scarcely possible to exaggerate the influence of vanity throughout the range of human life, from the child of three to the potentate at whose frown the world trembles. Mankind have even committed the impiety of attributing similar desires to the Deity, whom they imagine avid for continual praise.
But great as is the influence of the motives we have been considering, there is one which outweighs them all. I mean the love of power. Love of power is closely akin to vanity, but it is not by any means the same thing. What vanity needs for its satisfaction is glory, and it is easy to have glory without power. The people who enjoy the greatest glory in the United States are film stars, but they can be put in their place by the Committee for Un-American Activities, which enjoys no glory whatever.”

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist

1950s, What Desires Are Politically Important? (1950)

Love , Life , Men , People

“I was standing in the crowd by the side of Mrs. Thomas J. Dorsey, when Mr. Lincoln touched Mr. Johnson, and pointed me out to him. The first expression which came to his face, and which I think was the true index of his heart, was one of bitter contempt and aversion. Seeing that I observed him, he tried to assume a more friendly appearance; but it was too late; it was useless to close the door when all within had been seen. His first glance was the frown of the man, the second was the bland and sickly smile of the demagogue. I turned to Mrs. Dorsey and said, 'Whatever Andrew Johnson may be, he certainly is no friend of our race'.”

Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman

Source: 1880s, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881), p. 355.
Context: On this inauguration day, while waiting for the opening of the ceremonies, I made a discovery in regard to the vice president — Andrew Johnson. There are moments in the lives of most men, when the doors of their souls are open, and unconsciously to themselves, their true characters may be read by the observant eye. It was at such an instant I caught a glimpse of the real nature of this man, which all subsequent developments proved true. I was standing in the crowd by the side of Mrs. Thomas J. Dorsey, when Mr. Lincoln touched Mr. Johnson, and pointed me out to him. The first expression which came to his face, and which I think was the true index of his heart, was one of bitter contempt and aversion. Seeing that I observed him, he tried to assume a more friendly appearance; but it was too late; it was useless to close the door when all within had been seen. His first glance was the frown of the man, the second was the bland and sickly smile of the demagogue. I turned to Mrs. Dorsey and said, 'Whatever Andrew Johnson may be, he certainly is no friend of our race'.

Smile , Thinking , Appearance , Heart

“Eve was still frowning at the pasta like she suspected it was going to do something
clever, like try to escape from the pot.”

Rachel Caine (1962) American writer

Source: The Dead Girls' Dance

“Jace snorted so loudly that she turned on him with a frown. He wiggled his mud-caked fingers at her. His nails were black crescents. "Filthy inside and out.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Ashes

Source: City of Ashes

“I frowned. “You mean Set’s got, like, other evil gods on speed dial?”

Rick Riordan book The Red Pyramid

Source: The Red Pyramid

God , Evil , Speed

“But, Polly, a principle that can't bear being laughed at, frowned on, and cold-shouldered, isn't worthy of the name.”

Louisa May Alcott book An Old-Fashioned Girl

Source: An Old-Fashioned Girl

“Anubis frowned. He locked his very nice eyes with mine.
“You’re not dead.”
“No,” I said. “Though we’re trying awfully hard.”

Rick Riordan book The Red Pyramid

Source: The Red Pyramid

Dead

“Mussolini?” Leo frowned. “Wasn’t he like BFFs with Hitler?”

Rick Riordan The Mark of Athena

Source: The Mark of Athena

“Calm down, Horus said.
"Don't tell me to calm down!"
Bast frowned. "I didn't."
"Talking to him!" I pointed at my forehead.”

Rick Riordan book The Red Pyramid

Source: The Red Pyramid

“Stupid rock gods!” Leo yelled from the helm. “That’s thetime I’ve had to replace that mast! You think they grow on trees?”
Nico frowned. “Mastsfrom trees.”
“That’s not the point!”

Rick Riordan book The House of Hades

Source: The House of Hades

God , Stupidity , Thinking , Tree

“The key to happiness, she said, is tolerance of those who do not do as you do.' `What if those who do not do as you do are gunning you down?' I said…. Alaska frowned. `Guns are intolerant. Guns are a failure of communication.”

Jeanette Winterson book The Stone Gods

Source: The Stone Gods

Communication , Failure , Happiness

“Where's Simon?"…"Is he okay? Why isn't he here?" She glared at Derek. "Where'd you leave him?"
Passed out in an alley." Derek frowned in thought. "Not sure where, though…”

Kelley Armstrong (1968) Canadian writer

“You said their prayer - is this the religion you believe in, then?"
"I believe in them all."
Vin frowned. "None of them contradict each other?"
Sazed smiled. "Oh, often and frequently they do. But, I respect the truths behind them all.”

Brandon Sanderson (1975) American fantasy writer

Source: The Final Empire

Truth , Religion , Smile

“When I was alive, I mean the first time, Mussolini was in charge. We were at war.”
“Mussolini?” Leo frowned. “Wasn’t he like BFFs with Hitler?”

Rick Riordan The Mark of Athena

Source: The Mark of Athena

War , Time

“Have you ever been to Colorado?"
I frowned. "Is that one of those square ones, in the middle?”

James Patterson (1947) American author

“I could probably have made the head shot from the railing, but with an unfamiliar gun, it was too risky. I didn't want to accidentally shoot the woman in the head. Killing the hostage is always frowned upon.”

Laurell K. Hamilton book The Killing Dance

Source: The Killing Dance

“I try to maintain a positive attitude at all times, because clients notice little things like that, and if you're frowning and crying all the time and saying "why? why?", they get worried.”

John Swartzwelder book The Time Machine Did It

Source: The Time Machine Did It

Time , Cry

“Leap out the window, my inner Tigress cried. You aren't ready to face such a powerful Tiger. I frowned. I thought a true Tigress never backed down from a fight. Don't you know anything? When she's in heat, she avoids everything male. Now run!”

Gena Showalter (1975) American writer

Source: Animal Instincts

Fight

“He said a bad word. Do you want to know what it was? It started with F. It's not the one you're thinking of, though. To the other one. The one that ends with P. do you want to know what it was? It was troop." She frowned. "Wait that's not a word.”

Derek Landy (1974) Irish children's writer

Source: Kingdom of the Wicked

Thinking , Waiting

“What is it about men, anyway? You can't live with 'em and the law frowns on neutering them. It's not exactly a win-win situation.”

Susan Andersen (1950) American writer

Source: Burning Up

Men , Law

“Refills are free,” the waitress tells us with a frown, like she’s hoping we’re not the kind of people who ask for endless refills. I am already pretty sure we are exactly those people.”

Holly Black book Black Heart

Source: Black Heart

People , Hope

“Can a magician kill a man by magic?” Lord Wellington asked Strange.
Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. “I suppose a magician might,” he admitted, “but a gentleman never could.”

Susanna Clarke book Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Source: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Question

“Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.”

George MacDonald (1824–1905) Scottish journalist, novelist

Smile , Affliction

“You are unnerving the hell out of me, Valkyrie."
"oh" she frowned, petting her bat fitfully " I must have misread the future for the past." she shrugged. "It happens.”

Kresley Cole American writer

Source: MacRieve

Hell , Past , Future

“Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you, smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, "Come and find out".”

Joseph Conrad book Heart of Darkness

Source: Heart of Darkness

Smile , Thinking

“Do you think it would be quite so easy to kill them now that your weapon has been destroyed?' he sneered. 'No,' she said, frowning at him, 'Obviously not.”

Derek Landy (1974) Irish children's writer

Source: Death Bringer

Thinking

“When they ran up to him, Percy said, 'Hey,' like they were just meeting for lunch or something.

'You're alive!' Frank marveled.

Percy frowned. 'The fall? That was nothing. I fell twice that far from the St. Louis Arch.'

'You didHazel asked.”

Rick Riordan (1964) American writer

“Anybody see you come in here?"
Holly thought about it.
"The FBI, CIA, NSA, DEA, M16. Oh, and the EIB."
Foaly frowned. "EIB?"
"Everyone in the building.”

Eoin Colfer Artemis Fowl

Variant: Foaly: Anyone see you come in here?
Holly: The FBI, CIA, NSA, DEA, MI6. Oh, and the EIB.
Foaly: The EIB?
Holly: (smirking) Everyone in the building.
Source: Artemis Fowl (2001)

“Mary frowned. A vampire doctor. Talk about exploring your alternative therapies.”

Jessica Bird book Lover Eternal

Source: Lover Eternal

“Hazel frowned. "Why that one?"

"You don't see the ghost?" Frank asked.

"Ghost?" Nico asked.

Okay… if Frank was seeing a ghost that the Underworld kids couldn't see, something was definitely wrong.”

Rick Riordan book The House of Hades

Source: The House of Hades

“Frowning, she looked up. "You can't want to ravish me every time we meet."
Oh, yes, he could. Demon gritted his teeth…”

Stephanie Laurens (1943) Australian writer

Source: A Rogue's Proposal

Time

“I caught Bast’s arm when she was a few steps from the bank.
“Stay away from the water.”
She frowned. “Carter, I’m a cat. I’m not going for a swim. But if you want to summon a river goddess, you really need to do it at the riverbank.”

Rick Riordan book The Red Pyramid

Source: The Red Pyramid

Cats , Water

“I used to tell your mother she looked like Sophia Lauren." He looks at me, frowning, and then it registers.
"Oh God, some guy's using that line on you, isn't he?"
"Not just 'some guy'." I tell him. "The guy.”

Melina Marchetta (1965) Australian teen writer

Source: Saving Francesca

God , Guy

“It’s okay,” said Alec. “I once walked in on you and Isabelle. I guess turnabout’s fair play.” He frowned. “Although you two were in my room at the time, so actually I think you still owe me.”

Cassandra Clare (1973) American author

Source: Born to Endless Night

Thinking , Time

“I just have one of those faces. People come up to me and say, "What's wrong?" Nothing. "Well, it takes more energy to frown than it does to smile." Yeah, you know it takes more energy to point that out than it does to leave me alone?”

Bill Hicks (1961–1994) American comedian

Relentless (1992)

People , Smile

“Belief?"
"Yes," Sazed said. "Tell me, Mistress. What is it that you believe?"
Vin frowned. "What kind of question is that?"
"The most important kind, I think.”

Brandon Sanderson (1975) American fantasy writer

Source: The Final Empire

Question , Thinking

“I don’t think my sister is old enough to have sex.”

“V, she’s the same age you are.”

He frowned for a moment. Was she? Or had he been born first?”

Jessica Bird (1969) U.S. novelist

Source: Lover Unleashed

Age , Sex , Thinking , Sister

“Her father sagged as relief spread through him. “I thought
something awful was happening.”
She frowned. “Something awful was happening. It could have
got stuck in my hair.”

Derek Landy (1974) Irish children's writer

Source: Dark Days

“I see that there will be no end to imperfection, or to doing things the wrong way. Even if you grow up, no matter how hard you scrub, whatever you do, there will always be some other stain or spot on your face or stupid act, somebody frowning.”

Margaret Atwood book Cat's Eye

Source: Cat's Eye

Stupidity , Way

“It's all very romantic," Gabriel said, and then frowned. "Or it would be, if my brother could get a word out without sounding like a choking frog. I fear he will not go down in history as one of the world's greatest wooers of women.”

Cassandra Clare book Clockwork Princess

Source: Clockwork Princess

Women , World , Fear , History

“Have you noticed that the imbecile always smiles? Man's first frown is the first touch of God on his forehead. The touch of thought.”

Ayn Rand book The Fountainhead

Source: The Fountainhead

God , Smile

“Have you seen them?" he asked. Arrow looked at him disinterestedly. Will frowned.
Not talking, eh?" he said. "Maybe you're a little hoarse."
He cackled breifly at his own wit.”

John Flanagan (1873–1938) Irish-American hammer thrower

Source: Erak's Ransom

“Vane passed the mashed potatoes across Bride to Fury, who stared at them with a fierce frown "What are these?" he asked.
"Potatoes," Vane told him.
"What did they do to them?”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Night Play

“Holly frowned at her. "Glad to see you've forgiven yourself so quickly."
"Harboring feelings of guilt can have a negative affect on mental health."
"Child geniuses," growled Holly.
"Genii," said Minerva.”

Eoin Colfer (1965) Irish author of children's books

Source: The Lost Colony

Health , Feeling

“Adrian frowned.
'Is that a noose?'
'It's a tie!' I cried, trying not to feel offended. He laughed, clearly delighted at this.
'My mistake.”

Richelle Mead book The Indigo Spell

Source: The Indigo Spell

Feeling

“How long have you been a Wiccan?'
'A what?'
'A pagan. A witch.'
'I'm not a witch,' I said, glancing out the door. 'I'm a wizard.'
Sanya frowned. 'What is the difference?'
'Wizard has a Z'
He looked at me blankly.
'No one appreciates me.' I muttered.”

Jim Butcher book Death Masks

Source: Death Masks

“He was still frowning at the cake, looking at it as if he expected it to sprout dozens of legs and begin scuttling toward him, thin-lipped, teeth bared.”

Karen Marie Moning (1964) author

Source: Faefever

“She frowned at me. "You need some rest. You look like hell. And you're obviously tired enough to have gotten the giggles."

Wizards don't giggle," I said, hardly able to speak. "This is cackling.”

Jim Butcher book Changes

Source: Changes

Hell

“Grandma frowned and yelled something in Russian. She could have been saying, 'Open up, your best friend is here.' On the other hand, it could have been, 'America is a great country because of canned ravioli.”

Laurie Halse Anderson (1961) American children's writer

Source: Prom

Grandma , Country

“Hey show some respect. They’re real people with names. Carla and Krissy” He frowned. “Or was it Missy?”

Richelle Mead Bloodlines

Source: Bloodlines

People

“They were maps that lived, maps that one could study, frown over, and add to; maps, in short, that really meant something.”

Gerald Durrell book My Family and Other Animals

Source: My Family and Other Animals

Study

“When she didn't say anything more, he frowned, thinking this was the pair of them in a nutshell: Standing three feet away from each other and being separated by miles.”

Jessica Bird (1969) U.S. novelist

Thinking

“This college would probably have the same problem as the last one did."
I frowned, "What's that?"
"Homework.”

Richelle Mead book Spirit Bound

Source: Spirit Bound

Problem

“He lost himself in a maze of thoughts that were rendered vague by his lack of words to express them. Frowning, he tried again.”

William Golding book Lord of the Flies

Source: Lord of the Flies

“So, great. This is Camp…what do you call it? Camp Fish-Blood?”
Aphros frowned. “I hope that was a joke. This is Camp __________.” He made a sound that was a series of sonar pings and hisses.”

Rick Riordan The Mark of Athena

Source: The Mark of Athena

Hope , Fish

“Is Adrian here?”
“Who?”
“Adrian. Tall. Brown hair. Green eyes.”
She frowned. “Do you mean Jet?”
“I … I’m not sure. Does he smoke like a chimney?”
The girl nodded sagely. “Yup. You must mean Jet.”

Richelle Mead Bloodlines

Source: Bloodlines

Girl

“She frowned at him. 'You are in love with solitude.'
'Is there a better cure for the world than solitude?”

Meg Rosoff (1956) American-British children's writer

Source: The Bride's Farewell

Love , World , Solitude

“Leo frowned at the giant's spire. "Can't we blow it up or something?"
"Without me, you do not have the power," Hera said. "You might as well try to destroy a mountain."
"Done that once today," Jason said.”

Rick Riordan book The Lost Hero

Source: The Lost Hero

Mountain

“Thanks for everything.”
“As you wish,” the captain said. If axes could frown, I’m sure he would have.
“Stay sharp,” Carter told him.”

Rick Riordan book The Red Pyramid

Source: The Red Pyramid

“The woman frowned. "I probably should have mentioned that annoying habit of letting people come to the wrong conclusions and not correcting them? He got it from me.”

Ilona Andrews American husband-and-wife novelist duo

Source: On the Edge

People

“Who's there?' he called, then frowned. 'Of course,' he added, addressing the darkness all around, 'even I, as a Shadowhunter, have seen enough movies to know that anyone who yells 'Who's there?”

Cassandra Clare book City of Heavenly Fire

is going to be instantly killed.'"
Jace Herondale, pg. 442
Source: The Mortal Instruments, City of Heavenly Fire (2014)

“Wayne's a little attached to that hat," Waxillium said. "He thinks it's lucky."
Wayne: "It is lucky. I ain't never died while wearing that hat."
Marasi frowned. "I… I'm not sure I know how to respond."
Wax: "That's a common reaction to Wayne.”

Brandon Sanderson (1975) American fantasy writer

Source: The Alloy of Law

Thinking

“He frowned as he struggled to remember. It was like watching an elephant crochet.”

Val McDermid (1955) Scottish crime writer

Source: Kick Back

“How do you do that?” Mennis asked, frowning.
“What?”
“Smile so much.”
“Oh, I’m just a happy person.”

Brandon Sanderson (1975) American fantasy writer

Source: The Final Empire

Smile , Personality , Happiness

“The marriage of David Brooks and the Democratic Leadership Council makes perfect sense. It's repugnant and the kind of thing one should shield young children from knowing about, but it makes perfect sense. Both prefer a policy of being "cautious soldiers," "incrementalists" who shun upheavals and vote the status quo, although they subscribe to this policy for different reasons. Brooks worships the status quo because he has no penis and wants to spend the rest of his life buying periwinkle bath towels without troubling interruptions of conscience. The DLC, a nonprofit created in the mid-1980s to help big business have a say in the Democratic Party platform, supports the status quo because they are paid agents of the commercial interests that define it. Moreover, Brooks and the DLC have this in common: While they both frown on the open flag-waving and ostentatious religiosity of the talk-radio right-wing as being gauche and in bad form, they're only truly offended by people of their own background who happen to be idealistic. Hence the recurring backlash by both against the various angry electoral challenges to the establishment of the Democratic Party.”

Matt Taibbi (1970) author and journalist

"David Brooks and the DLC: Best Friends Forever?", AlterNet (3 August 2006) http://web.archive.org/web/20060808224928/http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/39862/

Life , Marriage , Children , People

“Nobody who has lived through the rise of the violent anti-Semitism which led to Hitler can refuse Mrs. Thatcher admiration for her courageous and outspoken warning. When I grew up in Vienna the established Jewish families were a generally respected group and all decent people would frown upon the occasional anti-Jewish outbursts of a few popular politicians. It was the sudden influx of large numbers of Galician and Polish Jews [during World War I] … which in a short period changed the attitude. They were too visibly different to be readily absorbed.”

Friedrich Hayek (1899–1992) Austrian and British economist and Nobel Prize for Economics laureate

Letter to The Times after Thatcher claimed that British people were afraid of being "swamped" by people of a different culture. (11 February 1978), p. 15
1960s–1970s

War , People , World , Family

“To frown at pleasure, and to smile in pain.”

Edward Young Night-Thoughts

Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night VIII, Line 1045.

Pain , Pleasure , Smile

“I’m your apprentice!” Simon protested. “When are you going to teach me something?”
“Idiot boy! What do you think I’m doing? I’m trying to teach you to read and to write. That’s the most important thing. What do you want to learn?”
“Magic!” Simon said immediately. Morgenes stared at him.
“And what about reading…?” the doctor asked ominously.
Simon was cross. As usual, people seemed determined to balk him at every turn. “I don’t know,” he said. What’s so important about reading and letters, anyway? Books are just stories about things. Why should I want to read books?”
Morgenes grinned, an old stoat finding a hole in the henyard fence. “Ah, boy, how can I be mad at you…what a wonderful, charming, perfectly stupid thing to say!” The doctor chuckled appreciatively, deep in his throat.
“What do you mean?” Simon’s eyebrows moved together as he frowned. “Why is it wonderful and stupid?”
“Wonderful because I have such a wonderful answer,” Morgenes laughed. Stupid because…because young people are made stupid, I suppose—as tortoises are made with shells, and wasps with stings—it is their protection against life’s unkindnesses.”
“Begging your pardon?” Simon was totally flummoxed now.
“Books,” Morgenes said grandly, leaning back on his precarious stool, “—books are magic. That is the simple answer. And books are traps as well.”
“Magic? Traps?”
“Books are a form of magic—” the doctor lifted the volume he had just laid on the stack, “—because they span time and distance more surely than any spell or charm. What did so-and-so think about such-and-such two hundred years agone? Can you fly back through the ages and ask him? No—or at least, probably not.
But, ah! If he wrote down his thoughts, if somewhere there exists a scroll, or a book of his logical discourses…he speaks to you! Across centuries! And if you wish to visit far Nascadu or lost Khandia, you have also but to open a book….”
“Yes, yes, I suppose I understand all that.” Simon did not try to hide his disappointment. This was not what he had meant by the word “magic.” “What about traps, then? Why ‘traps’?”

Tad Williams (1957) novelist

Morgenes leaned forward, waggling the leather-bound volume under Simon’s nose. “A piece of writing is a trap,” he said cheerily, “and the best kind. A book, you see, is the only kind of trap that keeps its captive—which is knowledge—alive forever. The more books you have,” the doctor waved an all-encompassing hand about the room, “the more traps, then the better chance of capturing some particular, elusive, shining beast—one that might otherwise die unseen.”
Source: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, The Dragonbone Chair (1988), Chapter 7, “The Conqueror Star” (pp. 92-93).

Life , People , Books , Age

“The Constitution of independent India adopted in January 1950 made things quite smooth for the Christian missions. They surged forward with renewed vigour. Nationalist resistance to what had been viewed as an imperialist incubus during the Struggle for Freedom from British rule, broke down when the very leaders who had frowned upon it started speaking in its favour. Voices which still remained ‘recalcitrant’ were sought to be silenced by being branded as those of ‘Hindu communalism’. Nehruvian Secularism had stolen a march under the smokescreen of Mahatma Gandhi’s sarva-dharma-samabhAva”

Sita Ram Goel (1921–2003) Indian activist

Vindicated by Time: The Niyogi Committee Report (1998)

Communication , Freedom , Silence

“At the end of my course I realized there was no place for me in South Africa because I found it difficult to function in a society that considered 75% of population inferior, that my community frowned on me as an actress, and my beliefs for a non-racial society now incorporated a fight for the equality for women an anathema to my conservative Greek community. I did not want to spend my life apologizing for who I was.”

Angelique Rockas South African actress and founder of Internationalist Theatre, London

On leaving South Africa
The South African Interview (August 8, 2011)

Life , Women , Communication , Fight

“For good people to do evil doesn’t require only religion, or even any religion, but simply one of its key elements: belief without evidence—in other words, faith. And that kind of faith is seen not just in religion, but in any authoritarian ideology that puts dogma above truth and frowns on dissent.”

Jerry Coyne book Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible

Source: Faith vs. Fact (2015), p. 220

People , Truth , Faith , Religion

“I won a noble fame;
But with a sudden frown,
The people snatched my crown,
And, in the mire, trod down
My lofty name.”

Theodore Tilton (1835–1907) American newspaper editor

Sir Marmaduke's Musings, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).

People

“We know how it feels to be in the wrong and have someone shout at us or frown and walk past, we feel dreadful. We try to be friendly but so often it turns into a strained smile as someone replies curtly and asks what we want.”

Michael Elmore-Meegan (1959) British humanitarian

All shall be well (2014)

Smile , Feeling , Past

“I'd speak of artistry you would roll your eyes skyward
When I'd speak of spirituality you would label it absurd
When I spoke of possibility you would frown and shake your head
If I had stayed much longer, I'd have surely imploded”

Alanis Morissette (1974) Canadian-American singer-songwriter

Unprodigal Daughter
Feast on Scraps (2002)

“As we came away we ran into Lloyd George. Turning to me he said: "What are you going to do, my boy, when you grow up?" "I'm going into the Navy, sir," I replied. He frowned. "There are many greater storms in politics. If it's piracy you want, with broadsides, boarding parties, walking the plank and blood on the deck, this is the place." His words had gone home. That evening I confided to my father that what Lloyd George had said had decided my life. It would be politics for me.”

David Lloyd George (1863–1945) Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Recounted by Julian Amery, Approach March: A Venture in Autobiography (1973)
Undated

Life , Home , Confidence , Boy

“Don't you remember sweet Alice, Ben Bolt?
Sweet Alice, whose hair was so brown;
Who wept with delight when you gave her a smile,
And trembled with fear at your frown!”

Thomas Dunn English Ben Bolt

Ben Bolt, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).

Fear , Smile

“To-day, in snow array'd, stern winter rules
The ravag'd plain—Anon the teeming earth
Unlocks her stores, and spring adorns the year:
And shall not we—while fate, like winter, frowns,
Expect revolving bliss?”

Tobias Smollett (1721–1771) 18th-century poet and author from Scotland

Act I, scene vi.
The Regicide (1749)

Fate , Spring , Winter

“[she] gave me a puzzled frown like she thought offhand i was dead but the media's so unreliable these days.”

Daniel Handler book Adverbs

Adverbs (2006), Symbolically

Dead

“The ultimate human shopping list: I’d like some illegal, some forbidden, some frowned upon and some downright disgusting, please. I’ll have that to go, thank you!”

Dylan Moran (1971) Irish actor and comedian

What It Is (2009)

“Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth
A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
Fair Science frowned not on his humble birth.
And Melancholy marked him for her own.”

Thomas Gray (1716–1771) English poet, historian

The Epitaph, St. 1
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard http://www.thomasgray.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?text=elcc (written 1750, publ. 1751)

Youth , Birth , Science

““You could rule the nation—and yet you don’t seem to go after that power.”
The mayor frowned. “Power, Mrs. O’Hare? You mean the chance to make laws and compel others to do what you want them to? Why, good heavens, Mrs. O’Hare, who in his right mind would want that?””

Frederik Pohl (1919–2013) American science fiction writer and editor

Servant of the People (p. 254)
Platinum Pohl (2005)

Law , Chance

“Almost every organization… exhibits two faces — a smiling face which it turns toward its members and a frowning face which it turns to the world outside.”

Kenneth E. Boulding (1910–1993) British-American economist

Source: 1950s, The Organizational Revolution: A study in the ethics of economic organization, 1953, p. 10 as cited in: Joseph T. Mahoney & Anne S. Huff (1993) Toward a New Social Contract. Theory in Organization Science https://ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/30105/towardnewsocialc93136maho.pdf?sequence=2 Faculty paper, University of Illinois at Urbana

World , Smile