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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.

In the Western tradition, the first writers were teachers and historians, vastly traveled, who spiced their reports with fantasies. They were also poets who sang and entertained prince and pauper.

Quotes by F. Sionil Jose

It's the first hat trick of my career, so I will treasure the match ball.

Quotes by Fabio Quagliarella

I left halfway through my third year to start Lipstick On Your Collar, which was the first thing I ever did.

Quotes by Ewan McGregor

We were at the Schubert Theater for two years. And we were the first act.

Quotes by Eydie Gorme

Once you make that first mistake, it kind of clears up everything, and everything can come to you.

Quotes by Ezekiel Elliott

'The Wizard of Oz' is my favorite movie. It was the first movie I can ever remember watching.

Quotes by Ezra Miller

But after the spirit of conquest had changed the first governments, all the succeeding ones have, in general, proved one continued series of injustice, which has reigned in all countries for almost four thousand years.

Quotes by Ezra Stiles

I'm the first to admit that I never achieved my potential as an actress.

Quotes by Evelyn Keyes

I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.

Quotes by Everett Dirksen

A month and a half after my first audition, I won the role on 'Lost.'

Quotes by Evangeline Lilly

Stole my first name from 'Evening in Paris' and the second from Elizabeth Arden.

Quotes by Eve Arden

When I write a song, it's all about the riff - the riff first, then the words come later.

Quotes by Evan Dando

The mint makes it first, it is up to you to make it last.

Quotes by Evan Esar

I was the - my trendsetting moment was my bar mitzvah had the first, like, temporary tattoo guy.

Quotes by Evan Goldberg

So in the sense that we were all dealing with that freer approach, yes, it was certainly one of the first contacts, perhaps the first contact, when Peter came that summer. So it's a very pivotal moment that is documented...

Quotes by Evan Parker

When I first started my channel, I was a freshman in college and worked at a pizzeria, but I still made YouTube a priority because I was passionate about it.

Quotes by Eva Gutowski

I would love to throw out the first pitch at AT&T Park at a San Francisco Giants' game.

Quotes by Eva Marie

First, one scrambles for wealth. Then, one luxuriates in mocking the effeteness that comes with it.

Quotes by Euny Hong

From his first hours as pope, Francis has re-enacted or spoken of the great pastoral transformation of Vatican II as his own agenda.

Quotes by Eugene Kennedy

A common language is a first step towards communication across cultural boundaries.

Quotes by Ethan Zuckerman

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.