Noël Coward quotes - page 3

Noël Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, celebrated for his wit and flamboyant style. His works include classic plays, songs, and musicals that have left a lasting impression on British theatre and popular culture. He became an icon of sophistication and continues to influence artists around the world. Here are 75 of his quotes:

There's always something fishy about the French.

Noël Coward

Someday I suspect, when Jesus has definitely got me for a sunbeam, my works may be adequately assessed.

Noël Coward

That strange feeling we had in the war. Have you found anything in your lives since to equal it in strength? A sort of splendid carelessness it was, holding us together.

Noël Coward

Wit ought to be a glorious treat like caviar; never spread it about like marmalade.

Noël Coward

Mona Lisa looks as if she has just been sick, or is about to be.

Noël Coward

[On the phone] "My dear Jim's dead...No dear, he jumped off Waterloo Bridge - Yes, the one next to Charing Cross - No, no, no that's Blackfriars."

Noël Coward

The stately homes of England we proudly represent, We only keep them up for Americans to rent. Tho' the pipes that supply the bathroom burst And the lavat'ry makes you fear the worst It was used by Charles the First (quite informally), And later by George the Fourth on a journey north, The state apartments keep their historical reknown, It's wiser not to sleep there in case they tumble down; But still if they ever catch on fire Which with any luck they might, We'll fight for the stately homes of England.

Noël Coward

Charles: Anything interesting in The Times? Ruth: Don't be silly, Charles.

Noël Coward

The natives grieve When the white men leave Their huts. Because they're obviously, Definitely Nuts.

Noël Coward

So if I could employ A little magic that will finally destroy This dream that pains me and enchains me But I can't because I'm mad... I'm mad about the boy.

Noël Coward

Morris: I'll never speak to you again until the day I die! Gary: Well, we can have a nice little chat then, can't we?

Noël Coward

I've sometimes thought of marrying - and then I've thought again.

Noël Coward

Learn the lines and don't bump into the furniture.

Noël Coward

I'm not a heavy drinker, I can sometimes go for hours without touching a drop.

Noël Coward

Success took me to her bosom like a maternal boa constrictor.

Noël Coward

My importance to the world is relatively small. On the other hand, my importance to myself is tremendous. I am all I have to work with, to play with, to suffer and to enjoy. It is not the eyes of others that I am wary of, but of my own. I do not intend to let myself down more than I can possibly help, and I find that the fewer illusions I have about myself or the world around me, the better company I am for myself.

Noël Coward

Consider the public. Never fear it nor despise it. Coax it, charm it, interest it, stimulate it, shock it now and then if you must, make it laugh, make it cry, but above all never, never, never bore the living hell out of it.

Noël Coward

Trust your instincts. If you have no instincts, trust your impulses.

Noël Coward

I'm over-educated in the things I shouldn't have known at all.

Noël Coward

Goodnight, my darlings, I'll see you tomorrow.

Noël Coward

Never trust a man with short legs-his brains are too near his bottom.

Noël Coward

My big break came the next year with Bitter Sweet, starring Anna Neagle. I had a dress with a plunging neckline. Noël Coward said he could see the White Cliffs of Dover and I felt devastated. If you're blind, you'll miss me in that one.

Noël Coward