Famous quotes in English

These quotes are famous enough to be recognized by most native English speakers. Some come from written English (plays, books, or poems), others come from movies, and still others come from famous figures in history. Any of these can be quoted in a conversation, in whole or in part, They are so famous that the longer quotes are more often referred to with only the first part of the quote because people know the rest. Once you know an English quote, you will see it referred to in many places. Famous quotes are often changed slightly to make jokes, since everyone will understand both the original quote and the changed version. They can also be used as jokes when you quote them in an unexpected context.

Quote Who Language
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. William Shakespeare English
All that glitters is not gold. William Shakespeare English
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. William Shakespeare English
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. John Kennedy English
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find. the Bible Greek
Eighty percent of success is showing up. Woody Allen English
Elementary, my dear Watson. Sherlock Holmes (character) English
For those to whom much is given, much is required. the Bible Greek
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Rhett Butler (character) English
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. Thomas Edison English
Go ahead, make my day. Harry Callahan (character) English
He travels the fastest who travels alone. Rudyard Kipling English
Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. William Congreve English
Hell is other people. Jean-Paul Sartre French
Here's looking at you, kid. Rick Blaine (character) English
Houston, we have a problem. Jim Lovell (character) English
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Martin Luther King English
I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. Blanche Dubois (character) English
I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Lt. Kilgore (character) English
I think therefore I am. Rene Descartes French
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. W. E. Hickson English
If you are going through hell, keep going. Winston Churchill English
If you build it, they will come. Joe Jackson (character) English
If you want something done right, do it yourself. Charles-Guillaume Étienne French
If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman. Margaret Thatcher English
I'll be back. Terminator (character) English
I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. Vito Corleone (character) English
I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. Dorothy (character) English
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Michael Corleone (character) English
Knowledge is power. Sir Francis Bacon Latin
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. Forrest Gump (character) English
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. Albert Einstein English
May the Force be with you. Star Wars (many characters) English
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Eleanor Roosevelt English
Not all those who wander are lost. J. R. R. Tolkein English
Nothing is certain except for death and taxes. Benjamin Franklin English
Parting is such sweet sorrow William Shakespeare English
Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely. John Dalberg-Acton English
Speak softly and carry a big stick Theodore Roosevelt English
That’s one small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind. Neil Armstrong English
The love of money is the root of all evil. the Bible Greek
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Franklin D. Roosevelt English
The truth will set you free. the Bible Greek
There's no place like home. Dorothy (character) English
Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead. Benjamin Franklin English
Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Alfred Lord Tennyson English
To be or not to be, that is the question. William Shakespeare English
To err is human; to forgive, divine. Alexander Pope English
To thine own self, be true. William Shakespeare English
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference. Robert Frost English
United we stand, divided we fall. Aesop Greek
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Friedrich Nietzsche German
What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. Captain (character) English
Whatever you are, be a good one. Abraham Lincoln English
You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Abraham Lincoln English
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi English
You talkin' to me? Bickle (character) English