Quotes about tell
page 17

“You can never tell about a person by guessing… that's why language was invented. Otherwise, we'd all be like dogs, sniffing each other to find out where we stood.”

Alice Hoffman book Practical Magic

Source: Practical Magic

Dogs, Personality

“Jo's ambition was to do something very splendid; what it was she had no idea, as yet, but left it for time to tell her…”

Louisa May Alcott book Little Women

Source: Little Women

Idea, Time

“Tell him, we are not devils but we have friends who are.”

Philip Pullman (1946) English author

“If I give you a hint and tell you it's a hint, it will be information.”

Diana Wynne Jones book Howl's Moving Castle

Source: Howl's Moving Castle

“Let me tell something, seeing your name and psychiatric ward on the same piece of paper isn't the best way to start your day.”

Michael Thomas Ford (1968) American writer

Source: Suicide Notes

Way

“Look, I need to tell you something,' I continued. The words came stumbling out of me. 'I couldnt stand it if… I dont want you to---'
Percy?' she said. 'You look like you're going to be sick.'
And that's how I felt.”

Rick Riordan book The Titan's Curse

Source: The Titan's Curse

“Why do you tell me you love me only when you're drunk or dreaming? she asked. I have awful timing, said Simon”

Cassandra Clare book City of Heavenly Fire

Source: City of Heavenly Fire

Love, Dreams, Time

“In time, in time they tell me, I'll not feel so bad. I don't want time to heal me. There's a reason I'm like this.
I want time to set me ugly and knotted with loss of you, marking me. I won't smooth you away.
I can't say goodbye.”

China Miéville book The Scar

Source: The Scar

Feeling, Loss, Time

“I've heard tell that what you imagine sometimes comes true.
-Grandpa Joe”

Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Source: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Imagination

“I go where the lizards tell me.”

Scott Westerfeld book Behemoth

Source: Behemoth

“Tell me a secret.”

J. Daniels

Secret

“You are the only one who has understood even a whisper of me, and I will tell you that I am the only person who has understood even a whisper of you.”

Jonathan Safran Foer book Everything Is Illuminated

Source: Everything Is Illuminated

Personality

“Tell people the hammered truth, and it will ring like steel against an anvil.”

Elizabeth Haydon book The Floating Island

Source: The Floating Island

People, Truth

“At the time I thought what I had with you and your mother was better than nothing. But if you can't tell the truth to the people you care about the most, eventually you stop being able to tell the truth to yourself.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Ashes

Source: City of Ashes

People, Truth, Time

“The only thing a cat worries about is what's happening right now. As we tell the kittens, you can only wash one paw at a time.”

Lloyd Alexander (1924–2007) American children's writer

Source: Time Cat

Cats, Time

“And now you'll be telling stories
of my coming back
and they won't be false, and they won't be true
but they'll be real”

Mary Oliver (1935–2019) American writer

Source: A Thousand Mornings

Falseness

“The two of you are getting downright chatty, aren't you, Ms. Lane? When did you last see him? what else did he tell you?
I'm asking the questions tonight.
If an illusion of control comforts you, Ms. Lane, by all means, cling to it.”

Karen Marie Moning (1964) author

Source: Bloodfever

Question

“When someone tells you something big, it's like you're taking money from them, and there's no way it will ever go back to being the way it was. You have to take responsibility for listening.”

Banana Yoshimoto book The Lake

Source: The Lake

Money, Way

“You really love her don't you," she said.
With all my heart."
She looked as sad as I'd ever seen her.
What's your heart telling you to do?"
I don't know."
Maybe", she said gently,"You're trying to hard to hear it.”

Nicholas Sparks (1965) American writer and novelist

Love, Sadness, Heart

“I hate to tell you this,” Jason said, “but I think your leopard just ate a goddess.”

Rick Riordan book The Lost Hero

Source: The Lost Hero

Hate, Thinking

“Really, according to the shrinks, I am angry at everyone ever. Especially them.

I am all anger and resentment all the time.

Not one of them has ever suggested that maybe I lie because the world is better the way I tell it.”

Justine Larbalestier (1967) Australian young-adult fiction author

Source: Liar

Lie, World, Way, Time

“Cery: So, Hem, tell me why I shouldn't see how many holes I need to make before you start leaking money?”

Trudi Canavan book The High Lord

Source: The High Lord

Money

“I couldn't tell her. I couldn't tell anyone. As long as I didn't say it aloud, it wasn't real.”

Sarah Dessen book Dreamland

Source: Dreamland (2000)

“Sinead broke in. "The cops need to know what to do with Evan, Amy. What should I tell them?"
"Shoot to kill?" Ian suggested.”

Gordon Korman book The Medusa Plot

Source: The Medusa Plot

“In general, generalization is to lie, to tell lies.”

B.S. Johnson book The Unfortunates

The Unfortunates

Lie

“I'm telling you, it's fu**ing hard to be classy”

Janet Evanovich book One for the Money

Variant: It's fucking hard to be classy
Source: One for the Money

“Every man has his dignity. I'm willing to forget mine, but at my own discretion and not when someone else tells me to.”

Denis Diderot book Rameau's Nephew

Rameau's Nephew (1762)

Forgetting

“I needed her to stop. Needed not to hear the pain in her voice--to see the way she was twisting the pocketbook strap. If she kept talking, she might break down and tell me everything.”

Wally Lamb book I Know This Much Is True

Source: I Know This Much Is True

Pain, Way

“Jace: 'I don't like keeping her in the dark.'
Sebastian: 'We'll tell her in a week. What difference does a week make?'
Jace: 'Two weeks ago you were dead.'
Sebastian: 'Well, I wasn't suggestingweeks. That would be insane.”

Cassandra Clare The City of Lost Souls

Variant: I don’t like keeping her in the dark,” Jace said.
“We’ll tell her in a week. What difference does a week make?”
Jace gave him a look. “Two weeks ago you were dead.”
“Well, I wasn’t suggesting two weeks,” said Sebastian. “That would be insane.
Source: City of Lost Souls

Dead

“Silence has sometimes a remarkable power of showing itself as the disembodied sould of feeling wandering without its carcase, and it is then more impressive than speech. In the same way to say a little is often to tell more than to say.”

Thomas Hardy book Far from the Madding Crowd

Source: Far from the Madding Crowd

Way, Feeling, Silence

“We need music," Nico said. "How's your singing?"
"Um, no. Can't you just, like, tell it to open? You're the son of Hades and all."
"It's not so easy. We need music."
I was pretty sure if I tried to sing, all I would cause was an avalanche.”

Rick Riordan book The Last Olympian

Source: The Last Olympian

Music, Singing

“I'll tell you a secret. We live in a mad and inspiring world.”

Ben Hecht (1894–1964) American screenwriter

Secret, World, Madness

“But don't we often lie to people we love, or not tell them things, precisely because we love them?”

Alexander McCall Smith book Friends, Lovers, Chocolate

Source: Friends, Lovers, Chocolate

Love, People, Lie

“You have ruthlessness in your bones and ice in your heart, Clarissa. Don't tell me any differently.”

Cassandra Clare The City of Lost Souls

Source: City of Lost Souls

Heart

“He who flatters a man is his enemy. he who tells him of his faults is his maker.”

Confucius (-551–-479 BC) Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher

“In university they don't tell you that the greater part of the law is learning to tolerate fools.”

Doris Lessing book Martha Quest

Martha Quest (1952), Part III, ch. 2

Law, Fools, Learning, Universe

“[Kagura is doing laundry and tries to wring out Kyou's shirt causing it to rip in two ]

Kyo Sohma: Tell me what I think just happened didn't just happen

Kagura: My love!

Kyo Sohma: My shirt!”

Natsuki Takaya (1973) Manga artist

Love, Thinking

“I want to tell him that deep down each time Hannah looked at him she was grateful it was him because Jude did something that the others didn't. He came back for her.”

Melina Marchetta book On the Jellicoe Road

Source: On the Jellicoe Road

Time

“I made such a fool of myself,” she lamented.
“Love does not make you a fool.”
“He didn’t love me back.”
“That does not make you a fool, either.”
“Just tell me …” Her voice cracked. “When does it stop hurting?”
“Sometimes never.”

Mitch Albom (1958) American author

Source: The Time Keeper

Love, Fools, Hurt

“I like my smock. You can tell the quality of the artist by the quality of his smock. Actually, I just like to say smock. Smock smock smock smock smock smock.”

Bill Watterson (1958) American comic artist

Source: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

“If you tell them what they want to hear, they don't bother to try to see.”

Libba Bray A Great and Terrible Beauty

Source: A Great and Terrible Beauty

“The news just came in from the County of Keck
That a very small bug by the name of Van Vleck
Is yawning so wide you can look down his neck.
This may not seem very important, I know, but it
Is, so I'm bothering telling you so.”

Dr. Seuss (1904–1991) American children's writer and illustrator, co-founder of Beginner Books

“I didn't think he was a robot… but I did wonder if his emotions had been designed out of him. Of course, with a guy, how could I tell? Ha ha!”

James Patterson (1947) American author

Source: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

Guy, Thinking

“I just knew there were stories I wanted to tell.”

Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006) American science fiction writer

“The author who benefits you most is not the one who tells you something you did not know before, but the one who gives expression to the truth that has been dumbly struggling in you for utterance.”

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917) British missionary

Truth

“Curran looked back at me. "Why is it you always attract creeps?"

"You tell me." Ha! Walked right into that one, yes, he did.”

Ilona Andrews American husband-and-wife novelist duo

Source: Magic Strikes

“I like 'em big. And stupid. Don't tell my husband.”

Meg Cabot (1967) Novelist

Source: Insatiable

Stupidity

“A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.”

Frank Capra (1897–1991) Sicilian-born American film director

“Stories only happen to people who can tell them.”

Allan Gurganus (1947) American novelist and story writer

Variant: Know something, sugar? Stories only happen to people who can tell them.

People

“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.”

Brandon Sanderson book The Way of Kings

Hoid
Source: The Way of Kings (2010)

Question, Thinking

“I wondered which was harder, in the end. The act of telling, or who you told it to. Or maybe if, when you finally got it out, the story was really all that mattered.”

Sarah Dessen book Just Listen

Source: Just Listen

“They are committing the greatest indignity human beings can inflict on one another: telling people who have suffered excruciating pain and loss that their pain and loss were illusions.”

Elie Wiesel book Night

Misattributed <br class="br">Source: Robert McAfee Brown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McAfee_Brown. Preface for the 25th anniversary edition of Night https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_%28book%29. Page v, Bantam Books paperback; 1982 reissue edition.

Pain, People, Suffering, Loss

“You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”

Tim Burton (1958) American filmmaker

Source: Alice in Wonderland: Based on the Motion Picture Directed by Tim Burton

People, Secret

“People will tell you most of the story… and I’ve learned that the part they neglect to tell you is often the most important part. People hide the truth because they’re afraid.”

Nicholas Sparks book Safe Haven

Source: Safe Haven

People, Truth, Learning, Parting

“Our idea of God tells us more about ourselves than about Him.”

Thomas Merton (1915–1968) Priest and author

God, Idea

“tell me how does it feel with my teeth in your heart!”

Euripidés Medea

Source: Medea

Feeling, Heart

“Let me tell you something. A man ain’t a goddamn ax. Chopping, hacking, busting every goddamn minute of the day. Things get to him. Things he can’t chop down because they’re inside.”

Toni Morrison book Beloved

Source: Beloved

“When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: 'Whose?”

Don Marquis (1878–1937) American writer

Funny, Back To Work, For Men

“… I do not tell you often enough, dear Mother, how very grateful I am that I am yours. It is a rare parent
who would offer a child such latitude and understanding. It is an even rarer one who calls a daughter
friend. I do love you, dear Mama.”

Julia Quinn (1970) American novelist

Source: To Sir Phillip, With Love

Love, Understanding, Parent, Daughters

“I'd had years of practise looking dumb when people threw out Greek names I didn't know. It's a skill of mine. Annabeth keeps telling me to read a book of Greek myths, but I don't see the need. It's easier just to have folks explain stuff.”

Rick Riordan book The Demigod Diaries

Variant: Cacus.” I’d had years of practice looking dumb when people threw out Greek names I didn’t know. It’s a skill of mine. Annabeth keeps telling me to read a book of Greek myths, but I don’t see the need. It’s easier just to have folks explain stuff.
Source: The Demigod Diaries

People, Books, Reading

“We'de have to get in and get out the hard way; and if we made a mistake, there was no telling what sort of curse we'de unleash: monster guardians, plagues, fires, exploding donkeys(don't laugh; they're bad news).”

Rick Riordan book The Throne of Fire

Source: The Throne of Fire

Way

“Do Mom and Dad know you’re dating a homicidal lunatic? (Madaug)
No, and if you tell them, I’ll superglue your fingertips to your keyboard. (Eric)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Infinity

Moms

“All I could say was, "I don't know what to do." I remember her taking me by the shoulders and looking me in the eye with a calm smile and saying simply, "Tell the truth, tell the truth, tell the truth.”

Elizabeth Gilbert book Eat, Pray, Love

Source: Eat, Pray, Love

Truth, Smile

“The next time you face a room full of strangers… you might tell yourself that some of them are just friends waiting to be found.”

Lisa Kleypas (1964) American writer

Source: It Happened One Autumn

Time, Waiting

“We’re all works in progress, honey. And believe me when I tell you that I’ve had to work harder than most.”

Susan Elizabeth Phillips (1948) American writer

Source: Ain't She Sweet

“He didn't say anything more, just waited for me to tell him what I'd been thinking. It was pure speculation, and I was opening myself up to ridicule by saying anything at all. I sat on the stool and realized that I had my loyalties, too.”

Patricia Briggs (1965) American writer

Thinking, Waiting, Loyalty

“History isn't what happened, history is just what historians tell us.”

Julian Barnes (1946) English writer

Source: A History of the World in 10½ Chapters

History

“I'm going to tell you a secret. Our lives are shaped by the future, not by the past. Once you decide how you want your life to be, all you need to do is live into that future.”

Wendy Mass (1967) American children's writer

Source: Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall

Life, Secret, Past, Future

“It's hard to tell who has your back, from who has it long enough just to stab you in it….”

Nicole Richie (1981) American television personality, musician, actress, and author

“I have always held the old-fashioned opinion that the primary object of a work of fiction should be to tell a story; and I have never believed that the novelist who properly performed this first condition of his art, was in danger, on that account, of neglecting the delineation of character — for this plain reason, that the effect produced, by any narrative of events is essentially dependent, not on the events themselves, but on the human interest which is directly connected with them. It may be possible in novel-writing to present characters successfully without telling a story; but it is not possible to tell a story successfully without presenting characters: their existence, as recognizable realities, being the sole condition on which the story can be effectively told. The only narrative which can hope to lay a strong hold on the attention of readers is a narrative which interests them about men and women — for the perfectly obvious reasons that they are men and women themselves.”

Wilkie Collins book The Woman in White

Source: Collins explaining what he calls the literary principal guiding him, in the preface of the second edition of The Woman in White. Also in Reality's Dark Light: The Sensational Wilkie Collins by Maria K. Bachman & Don Richard Cox [University of Tennessee Press, 2003, ISBN 1-572-33274-3] ( p. xiv https://books.google.com/books?id=_X8AlmIp0dwC&pg=PR14)

Women, Men, Hope, Art

“If you want to make God laugh, tell her your plans.”

Anne Lamott (1954) Novelist, essayist, memoirist, activist

Source: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

God

“Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.”

Jodi Picoult My Sister's Keeper

Source: My Sister's Keeper (2004)

People, World, Disappointment, Solitude

“For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn't any other tale to tell, it's the only light we've got in all this darkness.”

James Baldwin book Sonny's Blues

Source: Sonny's Blues

Light, Suffering

“You don't want to let go, but don't want to be hurt, either. It's not a great place to be but what can I tell you?”

Junot Díaz book This Is How You Lose Her

Source: This Is How You Lose Her

Hurt

“I used to do drugs, but don't tell anyone because it'll ruin my image.”

Courtney Love (1964) American punk singer-songwriter, musician, actress, and artist

“Never tell a lie when you can bullshit your way through it”

Eric Ambler book Dirty Story

Source: Dirty Story

Lie, Way

“Not explaining science seems to me perverse. When you're in love, you want to tell the world.”

Carl Sagan book The Demon-Haunted World

"With Science on Our Side" https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1994/01/09/with-science-on-our-side/9e5d2141-9d53-4b4b-aa0f-7a6a0faff845/, Washington Post (January 9, 1994) <br class="br">Variant: Not explaining science seems to me perverse. When you're in love, you want to tell the world. <br class="br">Source: The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

Love, World

“And she did not have to ask if this was right, no one had to tell her, because this could not have been more right or perfect.”

Patricia Highsmith book The Price of Salt

Source: The Price of Salt

Perfection

“You know," she said, stirring her tea, "the fastest way to get him off your back is to sleep with him. And tell him you love him. Preferably while in bed."
I smirked and the tea almost came out of my nose. "He'd run like he was on fire.”

Ilona Andrews American husband-and-wife novelist duo

Source: Magic Burns

Love, Way, Sleep, Tea

“Of the Seven Dwarfs, the only one who shaved was Dopey. That should tell us something about the wisdom of shaving.”

Tom Robbins Skinny Legs and All

Source: Skinny Legs and All

Wisdom

“Patience is a fruit of the spirit that grows only under trial. It is useless to pray for patience. Well, actually I encourage you to pray for patience, but I'll tell you what you'll get TRIALS!”

Joyce Meyer (1943) American author and speaker

Patience

“We demand that sex speak the truth […] and we demand that it tell us our truth, or rather, the deeply buried truth of that truth about ourselves wich we think we possess in our immediate consciousness.”

Michel Foucault (1926–1984) French philosopher

Source: The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction

Truth, Sex, Thinking

“I think it's a shame that something as creative and vital to the nature of the human species as story-telling is largely controlled by the soulless cretins known as publishers.”

Piers Anthony (1934) English-American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres

Nature, Thinking

“It's his mother's birthday? But he didn't tell me. I don't have a card. I don't have a gift. How could he do this to me?

Men are crap.”

Sophie Kinsella book I've Got Your Number

Source: I've Got Your Number

Men, Birthday

“you can tell how much someone respects you by how much he respects your opinion. If he does't respect your opinion, he won't respect you.”

Sherry Argov (1977) American writer

Variant: Relationship Principle 10
You can tell how much someone respects you by how much he respects your opinion. If he doesn't respect your opinion, he won't respect you.
Source: Why Men Marry Bitches: A Woman's Guide to Winning Her Man's Heart

“Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is.”

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917) British missionary

Source: My Utmost for His Highest: Selections for the Year

God