I was struck by the way in which meanings are historically attached to words: it is so accidental, … - William H. Gass

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I think woman is phenomenal, magnificent. I mean that sincerely.

William H. Gass

I was struck by the way in which meanings are historically attached to words: it is so accidental, so remote, so twisted. A word is like a schoolgirl's room--a complete mess--so the great thing is to make out a way of seeing it all as ordered, as right, as inferred and following.

Inferred, Rooms, Thing, Twisted, Way, Word

Same Author Quotes

Words are the supreme objects. They are minded things.

Mind, Objects, Supreme, Things

The expression to write something down suggests a descent of thought to the fingers whose movements immediately falsify it.

Down, Expression, Movement, Suggests, Thought, Writing

Words [are] more beautiful than a found fall leaf.

Beautiful, Fall, Found, Leaf, Words

Some people say their life is full of darkness and I wonder why they don't just try and switch the lights on.

Darkness, Light, People, Say, Switch

The speeding reader guts a book the way the skillful clean fish. The gills are gone, the tail, the scales, the fins; then the fillet slides away swifly as though fed to a seal.

Book, Gone, Scales, Slides, Tails, Though