Quotes About Language

One of the joys of language is its constant evolution, and a lexicographer's job is both to track new words and to reassess those from the past.

I wish we had fewer bad words in 'Jump Street.' That would probably be better.

Cats can't understand English, so you tell a cat, 'Come on. Jump on the bed,' and he just looks at you like, 'What are you talking about?'

When I write, I'm talking to myself constantly to make sure that it sounds OK; it has kind of a nice rhythm and a nice jump to it.

I'm a little Italian girl from New Haven who, as an actor, gets to jump classes through language.

Just because I don't speak English with an accent anymore doesn't mean that I'm better than the people who do.

I can fight at any minute. It's like nature, like a second language, you just do it.

Now the point of comedy is not just looking funny, it's use of language. We have at our disposal a great language... and the imaginative, creative use of that language can be at the service of humour.

American Gods is about 200,000 words long, and I'm sure there are words that are simply in there 'cause I like them. I know I couldn't justify each and every one of them.

There's a guy I used to pay to work with me who'd call me 'kiddo.' I said, 'There's nothing that justifies you expressing that to me, your boss.'

I like the construction of sentences and the juxtaposition of words-not just how they sound or what they mean, but even what they look like.

I've never been that keen on Shakespeare.

I have family in Italy that my mother keeps in contact with, but I don't because I don't speak Italian.

I'm usually writing in English, and then I'll get the hankering to change channels. And usually I'll do that when I want to try a whole new set of keys, like musical keys.

I don't have that kind of brain where I can spell-check.

The beautiful thing about it is that 'Despacito' is not really an English crossover. It was just another song that the world made a crossover. I didn't really push it; it just kinda went there.

Yeah, I always had the habit of translating a lot of Black Sabbath records - that's kinda like how I first learned English, translating records.

I couldn't speak English. I'm in kindergarten, and the only reason I got through to first grade is because I cheated.

I can give you the King's English and then I can take it to the street, but do both or do one and don't do one knowing only the street. That's going to hold you back because what comes out is going to impress people, and it will impress them negatively.

I've made a dog's breakfast of English history, geography, 'King Lear,' and the English language in general.

Where I grew up if I swore my dad would knock it out of me. You just never swore.

When I was eight my mum said, 'You must integrate otherwise you won't fit it in. You must talk like de Dudley people dem.' Suddenly this thing of having a Jamaican attitude got knocked out of us.

It is good to be well connected with English language, literature and history, but the knowledge of our culture and roots is equally important.

We Latins are known for jabbering on.