Quotations: The Most Superlative Words in the English Language
The four most important words in the English language are: "How can
Five of the sweetest words in the English language begin with H, which is only a breath — Heart, Hope, Home, Happiness, and Heaven. Heart is a hope-place, and home is a heart-place; and that man sadly mistaketh, who would exchange the happiness of home for anything less than heaven. ~The Youth's Companion, 1853
These were voted as the three sweetest words in the English language:
1. I love you.
2. Dinner is served.
3. All is forgiven.
4. Sleep 'til noon.
5. Keep the change.
6. Here's that five.
~Pelican, c.1939
The four most beautiful words in our common language:
Two of the most pleasant words in the English language are "please" and
The three most important words in the English language are:
If the most beautiful words in the English language are
Three words fall on my listening ear
Like music from an Angel-lyre,
And when those thrilling words I hear
My spirit burns with Heavenly fire;
The sweetest words to mortals given,
Methinks are Mother, Home and Heaven...
~W. G. Brown, "Mother, Home, Heaven," 1851
The sweetest words in the English language are: — "Welcome. Make yourself at home." ~Author unknown, c.1949
Notwithstanding the fact that "yes" may be the sweetest word that ever fell from the lips of mortal, the little word of two letters "no" is the greatest in our language. ~Your Uncle Kris, "Pointlets and Tiplets Sung to Ragtime," 1908
How difficult it is to say "No!" Perhaps there is no word in the English language more hard to utter at the right moment. ~When to Say "No!", 1861, Jarrold & Sons, London
The two biggest little words in the English language are the two little words
‘Women’ and ‘Shakespeare’ are the two best words in the English language!
Words are peculiar that way, full of overtones and memories and semantic subtleties. It's an old game to pick the most beautiful, or the most unpleasant, words in the language. Playing it, some people have chosen "cellar door" as the most beautiful combination of sounds, with liquid consonants and soft vowels.
A good story is being told of a prominent credit man for a New York hat house which runs thus: A Philadelphia magazine having offered a prize for the best answer to the question "Which are the four sweetest words in the English language?" our friend the credit man secured the prize by sending in a slip on which he wrote these words: "Enclosed please find check." ~The American Hatter, 1903
"Inclosed find check!" The sweetest words that e'er outclassed the song of birds!... When sad and tired and short of kale, a letter comes by morning mail... The sun is once more cutting hay, the gloomy clouds are blown away, the world is glad that was a wreck, changed by the words, "Inclosed find check." ~Walt Mason (1862–1939), "Sweetest Words," c.1917
The sweetest words, I say by Heck, is that lovely phrase "Enclosed find check" — but what I nearly always git is "Here's your statement, PLEASE REMIT!" ~J. W. Cunningham, c.1930s
Service is the greatest single word in any language. ~F. D. Boynton, "Why Teach?," 1920
Freedom is the greatest single word of the 20th century... ~Lawrence Folkemer, "A Call To Be Christian," 1953
The wisest one-word sentence? Breathe. ~Terri Guillemets, "Clarity of breath," 2009
The biggest word in the dictionary — What is it? It all depends on what you mean by "big." If you mean the longest word, there are some that stretch out so long on the page that it looks as though the printer had dumped the whole type case upside down to spell it. But the long words are never those that count most. They are never, in the true sense, the large words. The words that count most are all short, stubby words, like home, love, wife, child, work, play, food, sky, life, God. However, if by the biggest word we mean the one most important for us, that word is If. This simple two-letter word will either cause us the most trouble or represent the greatest gain to us. ~Halford E. Luccock, "The Biggest Word in the Dictionary," Five-Minute Shop-Talks, 1916
I love you, that is the truest word of all. ~Juliette Drouet, letter to Victor Hugo, 1835, translated by Theodora Davidson
The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid. ~Author unknown [This thought and partial phrase goes back at least to the 1800s, but this particular wording is from the early 1970s. —tg]
Never use the word, 'very.' It is the weakest word in the English language; doesn't mean anything. If you feel the urge of 'very' coming on, just write the word, 'damn,' in the place of 'very.' The editor will strike out the word, 'damn,' and you will have a good sentence. ~William Allen White [quoteinvestigator.com]
"Science" is one of the most dangerous words in the English language. It suggests the authority of facts, and the reliability of evidence. But too often "science" is a gloved puppet worn on the hand of human motive. ~Dr. Idel Dreimer, lumpenbangenpiano.com
It is said that there are more lies told in the sentence "I am glad to see you," than in any other six words in the English language. ~Parry's Literary Journal, 1886
CHLOE: Oh, and by the way, we need to talk.
LUCIFER: Four most terrifying words in the English language.
~Lucifer, "My Best Friend's Wedding," 2021, written by Julia Fontana
I've always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." ~Ronald Reagan, 1986
The saddest three words in the English language:
The superlative is the excess of expression. We are a garrulous, demonstrative kind of creatures, and cannot live without much outlet for all our sense and nonsense. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Superlative," 1882