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William Safire Biography

William Lewis Safire (/ˈsæfaɪər/; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter.

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William Safire Quotes

As long as one American is hungry. . . then we have unfinished business in this country.

American, Country, Hungry, Long, Unfinished Business

George Washington had a tough second term.

Tough, Term, Washington, George

I was standing next to a famed geo-politician when the first news of the Argentine attack [on the Faulkland Islands] was received, and heard him muse incredulously: "An old-fashioned naval battle. A war between two civilized nations, perhaps with even a declaration of war, and later a peace conference. Wow. " No hostages, no nukes, no ideologies, no religious fanaticism; just a fair-and-square war over national interests - hard to believe, in this day and age.

Interests, Islands, Peace, Perhaps, Religious, War

Why use a modifier to set straight a not-quite-right noun when the right noun is available?

Modifier, Noun, Nouns, Straight, Use, Writing

Dangling punch lines to forgotten stories remain in the language like the smile of the Cheshire cat.

Cat, Like, Lines, Remain, Stories

This is what it's all about. From what I could see, you could get a bunch of people together, whip up the press and have some impact.

Impact, People, See, Together

In dealing with Syria's dictator. . . only force counts. No cease-fire was attainable in Lebanon until the 16-inch guns of the battleship New Jersey started shelling Syria's proxies; suddenly, sweet reason prevailed in Damascus.

Attainable, Battleship, Counts, Peace, Sweet, War

President Reagan is a rhetorical roundheels, as befits a politician seeking empathy with his audience.

Empathy, Politician, President, Reagan, Seeking

Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation, and is thus a source of civilized delight.

Appreciation, Basis, Gratitude, Knowing, Work

You don't want lopsided government. You don't want one side running roughshod over the other.

Government, Lopsided, Running, Side, Want

Better to be a jerk that knees than a knee that jerks.

Jerk, Jerks, Knee, Knees

When articulation is impossible, gesticulation comes to the rescue.

Articulation, Gesticulation, Impossible, Rescue

Only in grammar can you be more than perfect.

English Grammar, Perfect, Perfection, Grammar

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.

Avoided, Editing, Reading, Repetition, Work

The perfect Christmas gift for a sportscaster, as all fans of sports clichés know, is a scoreless tie.

Clichés, Gift, Perfect, Sports, Tie, Ties

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

Empathy, Ignorance, Know, Speech, Thought Provoking

On the analogy of 'Dictionary Johnson,' we call Fred R. Shapiro, editor of the just-published Yale Book of Quotations (well worth the $50 price), 'Quotationeer Shapiro. '. . . Shapiro does original research, earning his 1,067-page volume a place on the quotation shelf next to Bartlett's and Oxford's.

Book, Editors, Johnson, Price, Shapiro, Yale

The most fun in breaking a rule is in knowing what rule you're breaking.

Breaking, Fun, Knowing, Rule

Different regions may require different strategies, as President Bush has noted, but not different basic principles. It's either collective security or selective security.

Collective, Different, President, Principles, Regions

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.

Columnists, Insiderisms, Jargon, Journalistic, Taken

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William Safire Biography

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