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Clever Quotes

Lines that admire quick thinking and inventive minds.

Cleverness shows up in a sibling who worked out the family's puzzles first, in songwriters who favor sharp lyrics, and in teammates who find ways around a defense without breaking the rules. This page rounds up quotes about that kind of quick, inventive thinking. For related pages see Clever People.

The clever thing about the designs on 'Strictly' is that the razzle-dazzle comes from the materials used in making the dresses rather than because the cut or style is plunging or revealing.

Quotes by Kate Garraway

If two smart, intelligent, clever guys sit together on a table, and you both want the same, where can be the problem? We all want to be successful.

Quotes by Jurgen Klopp

I'm just so comfortable talking about my private life: I just think because I'm not that clever.

Quotes by Josh Thomas

Appeasement was never a very clever policy, and it should not be our option today.

Quotes by Jose Maria Aznar

A culture in which guilt is automatically assumed to be neurotic and unhealthy has devised a remarkably clever way of protecting its self-interest.

Quotes by Jonathan Kozol

I thought I was clever by greeting casting agents in my Australian accent and then switching to an American one during the performance. But the Australian accent seemed to put them off. Now it's the opposite; they love Australians. And...

Quotes by Jonathan LaPaglia

I never make stupid mistakes. Only very, very clever ones.

Quotes by John Peel

Only in Britain could it be thought a defect to be too clever by half. The probability is that too many people are too stupid by three-quarters.

Quotes by John Major

I had very clever producers, who scheduled it brilliantly, but scheduling it was a nightmare.

Quotes by John Crowley

Because of the nature of Moore's law, anything that an extremely clever graphics programmer can do at one point can be replicated by a merely competent programmer some number of years later.

Quotes by John Carmack

I'd rather get a good clean laugh with good material, than an easy laugh by swearing or shocking. That's not clever or comedic, anybody can get a laugh that way, it's too easy.

Quotes by Jim Dale

For sheer sexiness, a man must be beautiful. Funny. yes. Clever, no.

Quotes by Jilly Cooper

The key for me is movement. When the ball comes into the box, or when the wide players get it, that's where I have to be clever and make my runs. That's where I come alive.

Quotes by Jermain Defoe

I was born and brought up in Liverpool with my clever little sister Jemma, who is 14 and wants to be a vet. My mum Jane is an administrator and my dad Peter is a taxi driver.

Quotes by Jennifer Ellison

Obama spoke so slowly because he, a clever and cultured man, had constantly to be on his guard against sounding it.

Quotes by James Hawes

Prince Charles has doomed himself by so clearly wanting to be thought clever and cultured: the clever, cultured people don't buy it, and the people don't want a clever, cultured ruler.

Quotes by James Hawes

I think HBO seems to have an extraordinary clever knack of catching the pulse of its audience. It really, really knows its audience.

Quotes by James Cosmo

The Labour party still really has no idea why their people voted for Brexit. They still think that basically it's naive Labour voters being conned by terribly clever Tories.

Quotes by James Cleverly

It's not very hard to be clever. It's far harder to be simple, obvious, and meaningful.

Quotes by Jake Barton

No Jew was ever fool enough to turn Christian unless he was a clever man.

Quotes by Israel Zangwill

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Frequently Asked Questions

What ties these clever quotes together?
This set treats cleverness as something practical rather than abstract — a sibling who's "probably more clever" while the speaker leans on hard work instead, an appreciation for clever song lyrics, and a playful, riddle-like verse about a cat that "eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath." It's less about IQ and more about quick, resourceful thinking. See Cleverness quotes for the trait explored on its own.
Why do people look up clever quotes?
Readers usually want a line to caption something witty they noticed, or to admire someone else's quick thinking rather than their own. The playful cat verse in this collection is a good example of clever being used for pure wordplay rather than a serious life lesson.
Is this collection only about being naturally gifted?
No — one quote openly admits the speaker wasn't "the brightest" and that an older sister was likely more clever, crediting hard work instead. It's a useful reminder that this page isn't only celebrating natural wit; effort gets equal billing.
Does clever only apply to words and ideas here?
Not at all. One quote uses it for basketball teammates who cleverly created open shots by working the ball through traffic and avoiding fouls, showing the word stretching from wordplay to on-court strategy.
Where can I find related pages?
For lines about individuals celebrated for their sharpness, try Clever People or Cleverest; if you want the emphasis on raw brainpower instead of wit, Intelligent and Smart quotes cover related ground.

Whether it is a playful line about a scheming cat or praise for hard-won wit, these quotes treat clever thinking as worth noticing. Continue on to Cleverness or check Cleverest quotes for more.