Astor Quotes & Sayings

The man who goes fishing gets something more than the fish he catches. — Mary Astor

Right now, I am in Fallujah. I am in Darfur. I am on Sixty-third and Park having dinner with Ellen Barkin and Ron Perelman ... Right now, I'm on Lafayette and Astor waiting to hit you up for change so I can get high. I'm taking a walk through the Rose Garden with George Bush. I'm helping Donald Rumsfeld get a good night's sleep ... I was in that cave with Osama, and on that plane with Mohamed Atta ... And what I want you to know is that your work has barely begun. And what I want you to trust is the efficacy of divine love if practiced consciously. And what I need you to believe is that if you hate who I love, you do not know me at all. And make no mistake, "Who I Love" is every last one. I am every last one. People ask of me: Where are you? Where are you? ... Verily I ask of you to ask yourself: Where are you? Where are you? — Stephen Adly Guirgis

Winston Churchill was famous for his SARCASTIC and SARDONIC comments. Here are two well-known examples: Bessie Braddock: Sir, you are a drunk. Churchill: Madame, you are ugly. In the morning I shall be sober, and you will still be ugly. Nancy Astor: Sir, if you were my husband, I would give you poison. Churchill: If I were your husband, I would take it. — Direct Hits

By now Ferris had come to the grudging conclusion that his client was "a plumb good sort." Garrulous in the cabin, Roosevelt on the trail was quiet, purposeful, and tough. "He could stand an awful lot of hard knocks, and he was always cheerful." The guide was intrigued by his habit of pulling out a book in flyblown campsites and immersing himself in it, as if he were ensconced in the luxury of the Astor Library. Most of all, perhaps, he was impressed by a casual remark Roosevelt made one night while blowing up a rubber pillow. "His doctors back East had told him that he did not have much longer to live, and that violent exercise would be immediately fatal."64 — Edmund Morris

What would we say if men changed the length of their trousers every year? — Nancy Astor

But he lacked a sense of urgency at key periods, and lacked a firm hand when one was sometimes called for. His greatest strength may have proved his greatest flaw - one that finally sunk John Jacob Astor's West Coast empire. Wilson Price Hunt vastly preferred cooperation to confrontation. — Peter Stark

If I were married to you, I'd put poison in your coffee," Lady Astor once famously remarked to Winston Churchill. "If I were married to you," he replied, "I'd drink it. — Anonymous

I painted the Astor-Victoria sign seven times, and it's 395 feet wide and 58 feet high. I dropped a gallon of purple paint on Seventh Avenue and 47th Street from 15 stories up and didn't kill anybody. I dropped a brush at Columbus Circle. It fell on a guy's camel-hair coat. — James Rosenquist

I refuse to admit that I am more than fifty-two, even if that does make my sons illegitimate. — Nancy Astor

The grandfather clock struck the half hour. She must be away. Glancing from Mama to Mrs. Smith to Mrs. Astor, she did the only polite thing she could do.

She rolled her eyes back in her head, exhaled a loud gasp and swooned out of her chair. — Rachel Hauck

Women have got to make the world safe for men since men have made it so darned unsafe for women. — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

I admire nudity and I like sex, and so did a lot of people in the Thirties. But, to me, overexposure blunts the fun ... Sex as something beautiful may soon disappear. Once it was a knife so finely honed the edge was invisible until it was touched and then it cut deep. Now it is so blunt that it merely bruises and leaves ugly marks. Nudity is fine in the privacy of my own bedroom with the appropriate partner. Or for a model in life class at art school. Or as portrayed in stone and paint. But I don't like it used as a joke or to titillate. Or be so bloody frank about. — Mary Astor

No matter how horrid a person may appear on the surface, if you dig deeper, you will find some nice, unexpected little quality. — Brooke Astor

Mr. Churchill your drunk!"
Mr. Churchill: "And you, Lady Astor, are ugly. As for my condition, it will pass by the morning. You, however, will still be ugly. — Winston Churchill

Nobody wants me as a Cabinet Minister and they are perfectly right. I am an agitator, not an administrator. — Nancy Astor

The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything ... or nothing. — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

Drinking makes a person lose his inhibitions and give exhibitions — Nancy Astor

I married beneath me. All women do. — Nancy Astor

Let me be clear that I never offered House Astor an insult ... Nor did I insult Reginald. I simply described him in accurate terms. If he finds himself insulted by the truth, it's hardly my concern. — Jim Butcher

Jakie, is it my birthday or am I dying ? — Nancy Astor

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger of Mesivta Beis Shraga related how his father used to say that on Purim, the handle of the gragger (noisemaker) we spin is beneath the gragger itself, while on Chanukah the handle of the dreidel (four-sided top) we spin is on top. Purim, he expounded, represents human initiative, an "awakening from below," while Chanukah represents Divine intervention, an "awakening from above." On Purim, we stir ourselves with drink, joy, a hearty meal and other activities. On Chanukah, we light a candle that we are not allowed to use for any purpose other than to gaze at its flame. We just sit back and look. We let Hashem take over. We remind ourselves that Hashem is running the show. — Yaakov Astor

Dreams are great. When they disappear you may still be there, but you will have ceased to live. — Nancy Astor

Nancy Astor: "Winston, you are a drunk!"
Winston Churchill: "And you, madam, are ugly. But I shall be sober in the morning."
(Reported exchange will Winston Churchill. — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

Our security must be threatened in order for us to appreciate it. — Mary Astor

A person without a memory is either a child or an amnesiac. A country without a memory is neither a child nor an amnesiac, but neither is it a country. — Mary Astor

Power is the ability to do good things for others. — Brooke Astor

I love the Park. I like to walk on the East River, too, up at Gracie Square, but Central Park is my favorite part of the city. — Brooke Astor

It isn't the common man at all who is important: it's the uncommon man. — Nancy Astor

Lord Castlerosse was taken to task by Nancy Astor over the size of his stomach. 'What would you say if that was on a woman?' she asked, pointedly. 'Half an hour ago it was,' he replied. — Nigel Rees

Lady Nancy Astor: Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea.
Churchill: Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it. — Winston S. Churchill

No one sex can govern alone. I believe that one of the reasons why civilization has failed so lamentably is that is had one-sided government. — Nancy Astor

There is no such thing as a strictly woman's problem. Any question affecting the welfare of society is a woman's problem. — Nancy Astor

Summer is a Latvian chicken. We make foolish choices. We think we're young again. We run with outstretched arms toward an object of love and it pecks us and pecks us until we're standing there snot-nosed and teary in the middle of Astor Place and the sun sets fire to our Penguin shirts and all that is left to do is go to our air-conditioned homes and ponder the cruelty of our finest season. — Gary Shteyngart

Lady Astor. "My father fought against her when she was first elected." That was 1919, when Michael was only six, but he remembered going around Plymouth in a coach, electioneering with his father. "The Labour candidate got about twice the vote my father got. But my father got very friendly with Lady Astor. She was a very great spokesman for Plymouth. She had a lot to be said for her." Lord Astor, too, earned Michael's admiration for supporting the ambitious plan to rebuild Plymouth after the war. Michael loved to quote a line from The Way We Live concerning Lord Astor's effort to interest the House of Lords in the rebuilding plan: "Such was the power of the House of Lords that nothing was done. — Carl Rollyson

Life without emotions is like an engine without fuel. — Mary Astor

A pity that she gets so upset about little things, isn't it?"
"Like the time we sneaked the greased piglet into Mrs. Astor's parlor."
Smiling reminiscently, Lillian knelt before the door and worked the pin into the lock. "You know, I've always wondered why Mother didn't appreciate that we did it in her defense. Something had to be done after Mrs. Astor wouldn't invite Mother to her party."
"I think Mother's point was that putting livestock in someone's house does little to recommend us as future party guests."
"Well, I didn't think that was nearly as bad as the time we set off the Roman candle in the store on Fifth Avenue."
"We were obligated to do that, after that salesman had been so rude. — Lisa Kleypas

Lady Astor was also said to have responded to a question from Churchill about what disguise he should wear to a masquerade ball by saying, "Why don't you come sober, Prime Minister?"
(Reported exchange with Winston Churchill) — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

Pioneers may be picturesque figures, but they are often rather lonely ones. — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

From the American newspapers you'd think America was populated solely by naked women and cinema stars. — Nancy Astor

The most practical thing in the world is common sense and common humanity. — Nancy Astor

So you're not going to die, are you?" she [Astor] asked politely.
"Not yet," I said. "Not until after you do your homework."
She nodded, glanced toward the kitchen, and said, "I hate math." Then she wandered away down the hall, presumably to hate math at closer range. — Jeff Lindsay

Women are young at politics, but they are old at suffering; soon they will learn that through politics they can prevent some kinds of suffering. — Nancy Astor

Once you start asking questions, innocence is gone. — Mary Astor

I have to go around and ask people for money, of course, quite a lot. And it's quite an art to ask people for money. But I think that I have to ask them for money for the things that I'm interested in, and of course, money breeds money. — Brooke Astor

The only thing I like about rich people is their money. — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

People who talk about peace are very often the most quarrelsome. — Nancy Astor

When she woke briefly during her last illness and found all her family around her bedside: "Am I dying or is this my birthday?" — Nancy Astor

Bill Astor knew these papers were missing. Stephen showed his hand in October. — Christine Keeler

Grass is growing on the Front Bench. — Nancy Astor

Oh?" Tom's eyebrows shot up high. "What an interesting career choice. And may I ask what division you were in? — Marie Astor

If you love to read, if you love nature and if you have a dog, you've got it made. — Brooke Astor

I refuse to admit that I am more than 52, even if that makes my children illegitimate. — Nancy Astor

Earth to Dexter, Astor said, and I realized that I still stood in front of them frozen in my unlikely, foolish openmouthed pose like a pedantic zombie. — Jeff Lindsay

If I were your wife I would put poison in your coffee, — Nancy Astor

[To a group of women prisoners:] You're luckier than I am. You're wanted and I'm not. — Nancy Astor

We women talk too much, but even then we don't tell half what we know. — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

It didn't seem like Sergeant Doakes would give up before my conversion to a beer-bellied sofa ornament was complete, and I could see nothing else to do except play kick the can and hangman with Cody and Astor, performing outrageously theatrical good-bye kisses with Rita afterward for the benefit of my stalker. — Jeff Lindsay

For me, tango was always for the ear rather than the feet. — Astor Piazzolla

Now-a-days lower Broadway is blocked with traffic at this hour and everyone walks; even the decrepit John Jacob Astor can be seen crawling along the street like some ancient snail, his viscous track the allure of money. Instead — Gore Vidal

After lunch I tried to watch television, but I found that even with two-thirds of my brain focused on fretting about my coming demise, the remaining third of my intellect was a little too smart to put up with the bright and brainless daytime drivel on all the channels. I turned off the set and just sat on the couch, letting one tense and miserable thought chase another, until finally, at half past five, the front door burst open and Astor stormed in, flung her backpack on the floor, and rushed to her room. She was followed by Cody, who actually noticed me and nodded, and then Rita, carrying Lily Anne. — Jeff Lindsay

Some lines you just don't cross. Not in my business."
"Your business?" Georgia rolled her eyes. "You mean the private detective business? I wasn't aware you guys had such ironclad rules about making out with clients." She ignored the choking sound he made. "Seriously, have you even seen The Maltese Falcon?"
Darius' face heated. "This isn't some movie, Ms. Clare. You're not Mary Astor, and I'm sure as hell no Humphrey Bogart. Here in the real world, there are rules. — Laura Oliva

I would rather commit adultery than drink a glass of beer. — Nancy Astor

Sex as something beautiful may soon disappear. Once it was a knife so finely honed the edge was invisible until it was touched and then it cut deep. Now it is so blunt that it merely bruises and leaves ugly marks. — Mary Astor

Am I dying, or is this my birthday? — Nancy Astor

One reason I don't drink is that I want to know when I am having a good time. — Nancy Astor

It's not good to make sentimental journeys. You see the differences instead of the sameness. — Mary Astor

The penalty for success is to be bored by the people who used to snub you. — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

A painter paints, a musician plays, a writer writes - but a movie actor waits. — Mary Astor

A fool without fear is sometimes wiser than an angel with fear. — Lady Nancy Astor

You're home!" she said as she rushed through the front door. "Because I have some wonderful news, and I have to - Cody, don't just throw your jacket there; hang it up on the - Astor, for God's sake, don't slam the door like that. Here, take the baby," she said to me, thrusting Lily Anne in my direction and turning away again so rapidly that I had to lurch forward to grab the baby, spilling a quarter of a cup of coffee as I did. Rita — Jeff Lindsay

Mrs. Astor had long held that artists of any ilk - painters, authors, actors and the like - merit no recognition unless safely dead, and that meeting them risks both needless mental fatigue and the possibility of social contamination. — Paula Cohen

To move the wheels of justice is a ponderous business. — Mary Astor

Stuyvesants and Vanderbilts and Roosevelts and staid, respectable Washington Square. Trinity Church. Mrs. Astor's famous ballroom, the Four Hundred, snobby Ward McAllister, that traitor Edith Wharton, Delmonico's. Zany Zelda and Scott in the Plaza fountain, the Algonquin Round Table, Dottie Parker and her razor tongue and pen, the Follies. Cholly Knickerbocker, 21, Lucky Strike dances at the Stork, El Morocco. The incomparable Hildegarde playing the Persian Room at the Plaza, Cary Grant kneeling at her feet in awe. Fifth Avenue: Henri Bendel, Bergdorf's, Tiffany's. — Melanie Benjamin

I had a job; I was, during the war, a nurse, a 'Gray Lady.' We wore a veil and a gray dress. — Brooke Astor

'21' was the place, and you went down, and they opened the door. They had a little slit they'd look through, and then you'd murmur the password or whatever it was you had, showed a little ticket, and if they remembered who you were, you went in. — Brooke Astor

The late John Jacob Astor, a personage little given to poetic enthusiasm, had no hesitation in pronouncing my first grand point to be prudence; my next, method. I do not speak it in vanity, but simply record the fact, that I was not unemployed in my profession by the late John Jacob Astor; a name which, I admit, I love to repeat, for it hath a rounded and orbicular sound to it, and rings like unto bullion. I will freely add, that I was not insensible to the late John Jacob Astor's good opinion. — Herman Melville

I rushed off to Whitehall and assumed Aidan would head back to Astor. But when I turned around briefly, I saw Aidan uncoiling her black scarf from around her neck. She held each end of the scarf above her head, the silk capturing the wind, arching above her like a parachute. Aidan released one end, kiting the scarf. The wind swirled around her for a moment before Aidan let go completely. She was an excellent student. The light silk caught a thermal and rose, sailing above the water. A dark black bird against the blue sky. — Amber Dermont

In 1983, I became the Vincent and Brook Astor Professor at The Rockefeller University, where I established a new Laboratory of Neurobiology and continued my close collaboration with Charles Gilbert on the circuitry of primary visual cortex. — Torsten Wiesel

Politics? Ha! You couldn't get into politics. You couldn't get in anywhere. You couldn't even get in the men's room at the Astor! — Jean Harlow

We have all heard a great deal about the opportunities of bygone years. We envy the men who discovered and settled the West. We wish that all the railroads were not built so that those opportunities would still be open. Why, the opportunities of yesterday are as nothing compared with the opportunities that await the courageous, resourceful man today! There are fortunes to be made that will make those of Astor and Rockefeller seem picayune. — F.C. Minaker

I still can't believe that some pseudocritics continue to accuse me of having murdered tango. They have it backward. They should look at me as the saviour of tango. I performed plastic surgery on it. — Astor Piazzolla

Over time, it is all too common for people to lose touch with their heritage, as the thrill and immediacy of the present crowds out the echoes and lessons of the past. It would be a shame if that were to happen with respect to the fur trade. It is a seminal part of who we are as a nation, and how we came to be. — Eric Jay Dolin

I can conceive of nothing worse than a man-governed world
except a woman-governed world. — Nancy Astor

But it's different for a girl, and Astor is at the age- It's not too dry, is it?" She said, frowning at my plate.
"It's perfect," I said.
"It is dry; I'm sorry. So I thought maybe if you would talk to her," Rita finished. I truly hoped she meant talk to Astor and not the pork chop. — Jeff Lindsay

The reminder that there are people who have worse troubles than you is not an effective pain-killer ... — Mary Astor

The boys had learned that laughter stilled anxiety. It cleared away mystery. If you could laugh at something, it erased its importance. — Mary Astor

[After her election to the British Parliament and being welcomed to 'the most exclusive men's club in Europe':] It won't be exclusive long. When I came in, I left the door wide open! — Nancy Astor

Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer; into a selflessness which links us with all humanity. — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

The first time Adam had a chance, he laid the blame on women. — Nancy Astor

(Exchange with Winston Churchill)
Churchill explains that having a woman in Parliament was like having one intrude on him in the bathroom, to which the Lady Astor retorted, "Sir, you are not handsome enough to have such fears". — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

I used to dread getting older because I thought I would not be able to do all the things I wanted to do, but now that I am older I find that I don't want to do them. — Nancy Astor

I am sure that you will never end war with wars. — Nancy Astor

Money is like manure; it should be spread around — Brooke Astor

The only thing the women were after was just the chance to help the world on. But some men were so dreadfully afraid of them that they refused to understand, and talked about 'shrieking sisterhoods' and 'disappointed spinsters' and rubbish of that sort. — Nancy Astor

Drink promises you everything, but gives nothing ... — Nancy Astor

My vigour, vitality, and cheek repel me. I am the kind of woman I would run from. — Nancy Astor

Audiences will get just as tired of people wrestling on a bed as they did of Tom Mix kissing his horse. — Mary Astor

Things grew and lived in constant adversity, ingenious in solving problems of existence. — Mary Astor

Jakie, is it my birthday or am I dying? (Seeing all her children assembled at her bedside in her last illness.) — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor

Nancy Astor: "Sir, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea."
Winston Churchill: "Madame,i f you were my wife, I'd drink it!"
(Exchange with Winston Churchill) — Nancy Astor The Viscountess Astor