Logo - Feel The Words

Saying Quotes

The gap between what's said and what's meant.

This set focuses on the friction around saying things: doubts other people voice about an unusual project, the strangeness of writing lyrics meant for someone else's voice, and family conflicts that get said and later forgiven. It pairs well with our Know quotes.

Cancer is the ugliest, scariest, most dreaded word in the English language. My credentials for saying so? Head-to-head, firsthand close encounters with different versions of the fiendish devil.

Quotes by Jack Ramsay

I'm not saying I'm never going to get injured again; that's just impossible.

Quotes by Jack Rodwell

The satirical direction I have chosen is an indication of my disappointment in man, which is the opposite way of saying that I have high expectations for the human race.

Quotes by Jack Levine

I can put tweets on a map to show who is saying what where, which could be used for marketing or social research.

Quotes by Jack Dangermond

Mmmm... the comedy that matters is the comedy you pull out of thin air. It's a bit like when something funny has happened and you try to explain it to someone else and end up saying, 'You had to be...

Quotes by Jack Dee

If there were a better, clearer, shorter way of saying what the fiction says, then why not scrap the fiction?

Quotes by J. M. Coetzee

I'm saying that an editorial process that is preparing the material for publication counts as part of the inspiring process whereby God, in his sovereignty, gave every word.

Quotes by J. I. Packer

Well, Mark, I led the charge for five or six years to get reforms for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I was chairman of an organization called 'FM Policy Focus.' What we were saying was, if there was blip in...

Quotes by J. C. Watts

I've been saying for years that readers want inexpensive ebooks.

Quotes by J. A. Konrath

I loved saying 'swab' in my 2014 fringe show. In an otherwise very mumbly performance, there wasn't a day that I didn't absolutely chuck myself at it.

Quotes by Ivo Graham

A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.

Quotes by Italo Calvino

Even though there wasn't much damage, it's a disgrace that the skies over the imperial capital should have been defiled without a single enemy plane being shot down. It provides a regrettably graphic illustration of the saying that a bungling...

Quotes by Isoroku Yamamoto

A lot of the advertisement is done by saying: first of all, have a complex about who you are.

Quotes by Isabella Rossellini

I talk a lot about taking risks, and then I follow that up very quickly by saying, 'Take prudent risks.'

Quotes by Irene Rosenfeld

Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out.

Quotes by Iris Murdoch

When I say something untrue on the air, I mean for it to be transparently untrue. I assume people know when I'm just saying something for effect. Or to be funny.

Quotes by Ira Glass

When I'm writing, I mean what I'm saying - there's a lot of me in each song.

Quotes by Imelda May

You can tell when someone is putting on a role. If someone really believes in what they're saying, it's quite hard to find cracks.

Quotes by Imogen Poots

Spanglish is a creative way also of saying, 'I am an American, and I have my own style, my own taste, my own tongue.'

Quotes by Ilan Stavans

Liberty is the possibility of doubting, the possibility of making a mistake, the possibility of searching and experimenting, the possibility of saying No to any authority - literary, artistic, philosophic, religious, social and even political.

Quotes by Ignazio Silone

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these Saying quotes explore?
These quotes look at how what people say gets received — from criticism about taking on different projects, to why writing for someone else's voice is hard, to messy family dynamics, and being misunderstood even when you're being honest. It's a mixed bag; for lighter, more upbeat lines, see our Good collection.
Is there a quote about facing criticism for trying different projects?
Yes — one quote recalls getting pushback from people saying things like, "Why does Whit Stillman think he can do a film about blacks in early '60s Jam..." after taking on projects outside the expected mold. The quote is cut short in our records, but the gist is clear: branching out invited some pointed questions.
Is there a quote about the challenge of writing for someone else?
Yes — one quote points out that it's "weird to try to write lyrics for somebody else," because they can't fully get behind what you're saying if they haven't experienced it themselves. This speaks to how personal voice shapes what rings true, a theme you'll also find in our I Am collection.
Is there a quote about family always forgiving you?
There is. One quote admits, "You always end up saying and doing such horrible things to your family, 'cause you know they're never going anywhere, and at some point, they're going to forgive you." For more on the word 'always' as a theme, see our Always collection.
Is there a quote about being honest even when it's not enough?
Yes — one quote reads, "I know what you're saying, but I already told you all the truth and I, I don't what, I don't know what else to do. I just do the best I can and tell you the only thing I can, and that's what I already..." It's a raw, honest moment about doing your best even when it doesn't resolve things. For more on knowing and understanding, see our Know collection.

A few lines describe the frustration of repeating oneself and still feeling misunderstood, a mood also present in I Am quotes, while the theme of consistency in what one says connects to Always quotes.