OSCAR Wilde has been named as the “most quotable figure” in the history of the English language. The playwright takes top place on the list of the most memorable lines ever written or spoken in the latest edition of The Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations.
With 92 quotes attributed, Wilde beats his next nearest rival, another Irishman, George Bernard Shaw. Noel Coward has 53 entries, Mark Twain 43, which matches the most-quoted woman on the list, Dorothy Parker, also at 43. PG Wodehouse follows at 42 and Woody Allen comes in at a modern 35.
With so many to choose from it’s hard to find favourites but here are five from Oscar that we love. Use the comment box below to suggest your favourites.
1. Of the wallpaper in the room where he was dying: "One of us must go."
2. "The play was a great success but the audience was a total failure."
3. "One must have a heart of stone to read of the death of Little Nell without laughing."
4. "I find that forgiving one's enemies is a most curious morbid pleasure; perhaps I should check it."
5. A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?
The Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations is published by Oxford University Press and edited by Gyles Brandreth
FAQs
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
You should always be, unapologetically, yourself. This reminds us that we shouldn't try too hard to be “just like” someone else as that job is already taken.
Who are the most quoted people in the English language? ›
The 'Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations' places Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw in first and second place as most quoted. OSCAR Wilde has been named as the “most quotable figure” in the history of the English language.
What was Oscar Wilde known for? ›
Oscar Wilde's literary reputation rests largely on his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) and on his masterful comedies of manners Lady Windermere's Fan (1892) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). He was also known for his wit, his flamboyance, and his trials and jail sentence for hom*osexual acts.
Who is the most quoted writer in English? ›
Shakespeare is the most quoted writer in the history of the English-speaking world after the various writers of the Bible; many of his quotations and neologisms have passed into everyday usage in English and other languages.
What did Oscar Wilde say before he died? ›
"Either this wallpaper goes or I do.” -Oscar Wilde
As he was famous for his witticisms, it's tempting to accept this quip as his last words. But while Wilde did come up with this particular bon mot — what he actually said was, “This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death.
What is Wilde's message? ›
While the pursuit of beauty and happiness in life is always Wilde's ideal, he also implies that the consequences of one's actions must be thought out and the impact of one's decisions, beyond oneself, must also be carefully considered before acting on any impulse.
What is a famous quote about the English language? ›
The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself. — Derek Walcott.
What is the most said word in the English language? ›
100 most common words
| Word | Parts of speech | COCA rank |
|---|
| the | Article | 1 |
| be | Verb | 2 |
| to | Preposition | 7, 9 |
| of | Preposition | 4 |
73 more rowsFamous quotes in English
| Quote | Who |
|---|
| To be or not to be, that is the question. | William Shakespeare |
| To err is human; to forgive, divine. | Alexander Pope |
| To thine own self, be true. | William Shakespeare |
| Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference. | Robert Frost |
54 more rowsAlong with Critchley (who did not retrospectively diagnose a cholesteatoma in his report), all three doctors concurred that it was an out of control middle ear infection that killed Oscar Wilde. Oscar's ear infection and discharge appeared to resolve upon his release from prison.
He won fame as a dramatist, poet and novelist whose ideas on art, beauty and personal freedom formed a formidable challenge to Victorian puritanicalism. At the same time, Wilde attracted public notoriety for his stream of witty aphorisms and his "effeminate" long hair, dandyish clothing and his devotion to flowers.
What was Oscar Wilde's first poem? ›
'A Chorus of Cloud Maidens', Wilde's earliest published poem, appeared in the Dublin University Magazine in November 1875, signed Oscar O'F. Wills Wilde, Magdalen College. Soon after—in Trinity Term 1876—'The Rose of Love' was published in Kottabos.
Who is often considered the greatest writer in the English language? ›
William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. [1] He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard").
Who is considered the greatest English writer of all time? ›
William Shakespeare- The first writer that everyone comes across in their life is undoubtedly William Shakespeare. He is one of the most famous playwrights, with over 38 plays written under his name.
Who is the greatest writer to ever live? ›
Here are some of the best authors of all time, whose works have had a profound impact on literature:
- Homer. Homer, the legendary figure shrouded in the mists of time, stands as a cornerstone of ancient Greek literature. ...
- William Shakespeare. ...
- Jane Austen. ...
- Charles Dickens. ...
- Leo Tolstoy. ...
- Mark Twain. ...
- Virginia Woolf. ...
- Ernest Hemingway.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness. - Oscar Wilde.
What did Oscar Wilde say about marriage? ›
Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience.
What is a famous love quote by Oscar Wilde? ›
“You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”
What is on Oscar Wilde's grave? ›
