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List of H. L. Mencken Quotes

Explore our hand-picked selection of 926 inspiring quotes by H. L. Mencken.

About H. L. Mencken

  • Born: September 12, 1880
  • Died: January 29, 1956
  • Occupation: Journalist
    • The essence of a sound style is that it cannot be reduced to rules-that it is a living and breathing thing with something of the devilish in it-that it fits its proprietor tightly yet ever so loosely, as his skin fits him. it is, in fact, quite as seriously an integral part of him as that skin is. . . . in brief, a style is always the outward and visible symbol of a man, and cannot be anything else.
    Men Essence Breathing
    The common man knows exactly what he wants...and deserves to get it good and hard.
    Men Want Common
    The first kiss is stolen by the man; the last is begged by the woman.
    Kissing Men First Kiss
    The seasick passenger on an ocean liner detests the good sailor who stalks past him 265 times a day grandly smoking a large, greasy cigar. in precisely the same way the democrat hates the man who is having a better time in the world. this is the origin of democracy. it is also the origin of puritanism.
    Hate Ocean Past
    In baltimore, soft crabs are always fried (or broiled) in the altogether, with maybe a small jock-strap of bacon added.
    Food Cooking Jocks
    If women believed in their husbands they would be a good deal happier and also a good deal more foolish.
    Trust Husband Stupid
    Writing does for me what giving milk does for a cow.
    Writing Giving Doe
    Morality is nothing but a struggle for safety
    Struggle Safety Morality
    The opera is to music what a bawdy house is to a cathedral.
    Funny Music House
    The puritan, of course, is not entirely devoid of aesthetic feeling. he has a taste for good form; he responds to style; he is even capable of something approaching a purely aesthetic emotion. but he fears this aesthetic emotion as an insinuating distraction from his chief business in life: the sober consideration of the all-important problem of conduct. art is a temptation, a seduction, a lorelei, and the good man may safely have traffic with it when it is broken to moral uses--in other words, when its innocence is pumped out of it, and it is purged of gusto.
    Art Men Broken
    A mood of constructive criticism being upon me, i propose forthwith that the method of choosing legislators now prevailing in the united states be abandoned and that the method used in choosing juries be substituted. that is to say, i propose that the men who make our laws be chosen by chance and against will of all the rest of us, as now.
    Men Law Criticism
    Democracy must be a sound scheme at bottom, else it would not survive such cruel strains.
    Democracy Sound Schemes
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