It was George Bernard Shaw who once proclaimed that "only fools use quotations". In fact, he didn't, or at least if he did it was only because he was telling the same joke that has since been told by a thousand wits. As for the identity of the original author of the joke, no one seems to know.

However, there may be some truth in the suggestion that wise men don't use quotations. Einstein once suggested, "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources", and Picasso appeared to echo this sentiment when he suggested, "good artists copy; great artists steal."

This section features a selection of curious quotations, many of which are paradoxical in nature, and all of which it is hoped the reader will enjoy. The quotations are arranged in the alphabetical order of their attributed authors. curiouser.co.uk cannot guarantee the authenticity of all of the quotations, although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure accuracy. Where sources are dubious, quotations appear without quotation marks.

Readers are encouraged to CONTACT this site to point out any errors, or to propose any suitable quotations. This site is in its infancy and will be regularly updated, so please BOOKMARK curiouser.co.uk and visit again soon.

And remember, it was Winston Churchill who once advised, "It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations."

Select a letter from the alphabet below or click on Search to find quotations containing key words.

• "There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."

- Douglas Adams (British author. 1952-2001), The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.


• "...you'd better be prepared for the jump into hyperspace. It's unpleasantly like being drunk."
  "What's so unpleasant about being drunk?"
  "You ask a glass of water."

- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.


• "It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them to be in. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination."

- Douglas Adams , The Restaurant At the End of the Universe


• "There is no point in driving yourself mad trying to stop yourself going mad. You might just as well give in and save your sanity for later. "

- Douglas Adams , Life, the Universe and Everything


• "The universe is simple; it's the explanation that's complex."
  - Woody Allen (US film actor and director. 1935- )
  
  
• "I don't wat to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying."
  - Woody Allen
  
  
• "My one regret in life is that I am not someone else."
  - Woody Allen
  
  
• "I'm not afraid of dying. I just don't want to be there when it happens."
  - Woody Allen
  
  
• "It has always been possible to joke about the Soviet Union, just as it has never been possible to joke about Nazi Germany."
  - Martin Amis (British novelist. 1949- ), Koba the Dread: Laughter and the Twenty Million.
  
  
• "My son came up to me the other day and said, 'Are you Pamela Anderson?'"
  - Pamela Anderson (American actress. 1967- )
  
  
• Your imagination, my dear fellow, is worth more than you imagine.
  - Louis Aragon (French writer and political activist. A member of the Surrealist Group. 1897-1982)
  
  
• "What is improbable is extremely probable."
  - Aristotle (Greek philosopher. c.384-c.322 BC)
  

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