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First Quotes

On beginnings, and what a 'first' really changes.

The quotes gathered here treat 'first' loosely: a rookie athlete crediting the teammates who set the tone early, a filmmaker's take on what should scare an audience right away, and a physicist weighing what can and can't be known first. If early relationships resonate, see our First Love.

For several days after my first book was published, I carried it about in my pocket and took surreptitious peeps at it to make sure the ink had not faded.

Quotes by James M. Barrie

The first year we actually did a lot of night shooting and the writers weren't even allowed on location.

Quotes by James MacArthur

My first job in NYC was playing a gig in the early nineties at CBGBs.

Quotes by James Iha

If Ireland is to become a new Ireland she must first become European.

James Joyce

I ran for my first office at 25 against an incumbent city councilman. I took 55% of the vote and became the youngest councilman in the area at the time.

Quotes by James Knowles III

The first bet I remember was on the Chargers in Super Bowl 29 with my classmates. I lost a lot of weeks' allowance.

Quotes by James Holzhauer

James Miller has already been declared one of 'London's rising stars', and the central vision of his first novel, 'The Lost Boys,' is wonderfully striking.

Quotes by James Hawes

When I get up, the first thing I do is open up Gmail and check my personal email.

Quotes by James G. Stavridis

The first movie, I was 23; I thought I knew everything, but my ego soon took an irrevocable blow.

Quotes by James Gray

All Marines, sailors and civilian Marines, regardless of sexual orientation, are Marines first. Every Marine is a valued member of our war-fighting team.

Quotes by James F. Amos

I have come to Germany to learn at first hand the problems involved in the reconstruction of Germany and to discuss with our representatives the views of the United States Government as to some of the problems confronting us.

Quotes by James F. Byrnes

I was Santa Claus in first year of primary school, our elementary's school play, because I had most panache, that was probably why. I was 5.

Quotes by James Frecheville

The first time I heard The Beatles, I cried. It was 'Let it Be'.

Quotes by James Durbin

My first show, in England, was called 'Soldier, Soldier.'

Quotes by James Callis

I'm going to say yes, I reckon we'll have the first BME (black or minority ethnicity) prime minister.

Quotes by James Cleverly

It was the desire to do the complete thing. I only took taking acting lessons because my whole thing, really, was to direct. But my first jobs were acting jobs.

Quotes by James Coburn

First job I went out on in new York I got, and when I came back, the first job I went out on, I got.

Quotes by James Coburn

Hair is the first thing. And teeth the second. Hair and teeth. A man got those two things he's got it all.

Quotes by James Brown

The year 2008 was a reminder to those who had forgotten that there is such a thing as history and that the cycle of famine and feast in commerce, first identified in antiquity and well understood in the Middle Ages,...

Quotes by James Buchan

When I had my first panic attack, I believed that it was a heart attack.

Quotes by James Arthur

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this page include a quote about starting an NFL career?
Yes. One quote looks back on the very beginning of an NFL career, crediting teammates named Tim Dwight and Eric Parker with showing what work ethic it takes to be an NFL receiver. It's a good example of first marking an early, formative stage of a career. For more on early milestones, see First Step quotes.
Is there a quote about horror movies or scaring an audience?
Yes - one quote states it plainly: "The first monster you have to scare the audience with is yourself." It's a compact idea about confronting your own fear before you can frighten anyone else. For more on how first moments set the tone, browse First Impression quotes.
Does this collection touch on science, like physics?
It does. One quote discusses the uncertainty relation, explaining that it does not refer to the past, and using the example of an electron's velocity being at first known and its position then exactly measured. It's a more technical, scientific sense of first.
What does the quote about the constitution say?
One quote makes a direct statement: "The constitution does not provide for first and second class citizens." It's a clear, principled statement about equal citizenship. It naturally pairs with First Class quotes on this page.
Do all the quotes here use "first" the same way?
Not at all - that's part of the appeal. Across this page, first describes a rookie's early days in the league, a monster's first scare, an electron's first known velocity, and even first-class citizenship. If you like exploring different kinds of firsts, First Love quotes make a nice companion stop.

One quote pushes past personal firsts into a civic claim about equal standing under the constitution, which broadens the theme beyond simple nostalgia. Related pages include First Impression and First Step.