Quotes by William Safire

About William Safire:

William Lewis Safire was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

If you re-read your work, you can find on re-reading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by re-reading and editing.

William Safire

What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate nor confederate will do, and partner is too legalistic. The answer brought from academia to the political world by Henry Kissinger and now bandied in the boardroom is colleague. It has a nice ...

William Safire

The wonderful thing about being a New York Times columnist is that it's like a Supreme Court appointment - they're stuck with you for a long time.

William Safire

Never look for the story in the 'lede.' Reporters are required to put what's happened up top, but the practiced pundit places a nugget of news, even a startling insight, halfway down the column, directed at the politiscenti. When pressed for time, th...

William Safire

The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right.

William Safire

Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.

William Safire

Never assume the obvious is true.

William Safire

Is sloppiness in speech caused by ignorance or apathy? I don't know and I don't care.

William Safire

I think we all have a need to know what we do not need to know.

William Safire

I'm willing to zap conservatives when they do things that are not libertarian.

William Safire

I welcome new words, or old words used in new ways, provided the result is more precision, added color or greater expressiveness.

William Safire

At a certain point, what people mean when they use a word becomes its meaning.

William Safire

I'm a right-wing pundit and have been for many years.

William Safire

One challenge to the arts in America is the need to make the arts, especially the classic masterpieces, accessible and relevant to today's audience.

William Safire

Do not be taken in by 'insiderisms.' Fledgling columnists, eager to impress readers with their grasp of journalistic jargon, are drawn to such arcane spellings as 'lede.' Where they lede, do not follow.

William Safire

When infuriated by an outrageous column, do not be suckered into responding with an abusive e-mail. Pundits so targeted thumb through these red-faced electronic missives with delight, saying 'Hah! Got to 'em.'

William Safire

Cast aside any column about two subjects. It means the pundit chickened out on the hard decision about what to write about that day.

William Safire

Writers who used to show off their erudition no longer sing in the bare ruined choir of the media.

William Safire

To be accused of 'channeling' is to be dismissed as a ventriloquist's live dummy, derogated at not having a mind of one's own.

William Safire

Previously known for its six syllables of sweetness and light, reconciliation has become the political fighting word of the year.

William Safire

Author Bio

  • NameWilliam Safire
  • DescriptionAmerican journalist
  • BornDecember 17, 1929
  • DiedSeptember 27, 2009
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionColumnist; Journalist; Author
  • AwardsPresidential Medal Of Freedom