Top 15 Sydney Smith Quotes

No furniture is so charming as books.

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.

If you want to improve your understanding, drink coffee.

Madam, I have been looking for a person who disliked gravy all my life; let us swear eternal friendship.

I never read a book before reviewing it: it prejudices a man so.

The main question to a novel is — did it amuse? were you surprised at dinner coming so soon? did you mistake eleven for ten? were you too late to dress? and did you sit up beyond the usual hour? If a novel produces these effects, it is good; if it does not — story, language, love, scandal itself cannot save it. It is only meant to please; and it must do that or it does nothing.

The fact is that in order to do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand shivering on the bank thinking of the cold and the danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.

we know nothing of tomorrow, our business is to be good and happy today

When you rise in the morning, form a resolution to make the day a happy one for a fellow creature.

I always fear that creation will expire before teatime.

People who love only once in their lives are shallow people. What they call their loyalty, and their fidelity, I call either the lethargy of custom, or their lack of imagination

A man who wishes to make his way in life could do no better than go through the world with a boiling tea-kettle in his hand.

Partial Quote;

“A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage”.

Full Quote;

“A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort”.

No furniture is so charming as books, even if you never open them or read a single word.

If I were to begin life again, I would devote it to music. It is the only cheap and unpunished rapture upon earth.