Quotes from Dashiell Hammett

Spade] scowled at Gutman and burst out irritably: Jesus God! is this the first thing you guys ever stole? You're a fine lot of lollipops! What are you going to do next-- get down and pray?

She's in," he said when I joined him. "She went up the road, cut across through some bushes, came back to the edge of the cliff, and slid feet-first through a cellar window." That was nice. The crazier the people you are sleuthing act, as a rule, the nearer you are to an ending of your troubles.

For myself, I counted on coming through all in one piece. Few men get killed. Most of those who meet sudden ends get themselves killed.

The chief winked at me, an athletic wink in which all his facial muscles took part....

Nora stopped drinking to ask: "Did Wynant really steal it?" "Tch, tch, tch," I said. "This is Christmas Eve: try to think good of your fellow man.

Asta jumped up and punched me in the belly with her front feet. Nora, at the other end of the leash, said: "She's had a swell afternoon—knocked over a table of toys at Lord & Taylor's, scared a fat woman silly by licking her leg in Saks's, and's been patted by three policemen.

Have it your own way," she said, "but I always thought detectives waited until they had every little detail fixed in—" "And then wonder why the suspect's had time to get to the farthest country that has no extradition treaty.

I think you probably know what you're doing and whatever you do is your own business.

Los indicios de chifladura son bien sencillos de encontrar, y cuanto más ahondamos en nosotros mismos, más salen a relucir.

I don't," he said, "and that's a fact. I just can't size them up at all. This Mrs. Jorgensen, now, what is she?" "A blonde.

I guess I can put two and two together." "Sometimes the answer's four," I said, "and sometimes it's twenty-two.

His wife was a tall, stringy woman, perhaps five years older than her husband—say, forty—with a mouth and chin that seemed shaped for gossiping.

the Charles-Street Avenue house.

You're old enough to know that everybody except very crazy people and very stupid people suspect themselves now and then – or whenever they happen to think about it – of not being exactly sane. ? Dashiell Hammett, The Dain Curse, ch XIX

I lost my guts out fighting your fights while you were hiding in bed and thinking up new ways of disowning me. Find another wet nurse.

He stood beside the fireplace and looked at her with eyes that studied, weighed, judged her without pretense that they were not studying, weighing, judging her.

Desapareció -dijo Spade- como desaparece un puño cuando se abre la mano

Oh, cariño!, no fue solamente por eso, habría acudido a ti tarde o temprano. Desde el primer día que te vi supe que… —¡Ángel mío! —dijo Spade con ternura—. Mira, si tienes suerte dentro de veinte años saldrás de San Quintín, y entonces me vienes a buscar.

Yo desconfío de un hombre que dice basta cuando le están sirviendo de beber. Pues si ha de tener cuidado de no beber demasiado, esto indica que no es de fiar cuando lo hace

You can't walk out on yourself.

Feed the lettuce to the bunny and eat the bunny

She's being stupid and she's sure she's being very clever, and that's a nuisance, but I don't think I hate her.

Morelli shook his battered head. "I don't apologize for what I do—people've got to take it or leave it—but I don't mind telling you I'm sorry I lost my noodle and cracked down on you and I hope it ain't bothering you much and if there's anything I can do to square it I—

She's been sulking for a week. If I didn't drink I'd go crazy." "What's she sulking about?" "About my drinking.