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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
People talking
When I was little, a common, afaict, expression was roughly:
Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about other people.
Can anyone give me the exact quote and who it is attributed to.
I thought searching google would turn it up immediately, but all I have found is:
Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about wine.
Fran Lebowitz, US writer and humorist (1950 - )
s/ meirman
Posting from alt.english.usage
If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Town NW of Pittsburgh Pa. 0 to 10 years
Indianapolis 7 years
Chicago 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
now in Baltimore 22 years
Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about other people.
Can anyone give me the exact quote and who it is attributed to.
I thought searching google would turn it up immediately, but all I have found is:
Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about wine.
Fran Lebowitz, US writer and humorist (1950 - )
s/ meirman
Posting from alt.english.usage
If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Town NW of Pittsburgh Pa. 0 to 10 years
Indianapolis 7 years
Chicago 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
now in Baltimore 22 years
Top answer
[nq:1]When I was little, a common, afaict, expression was roughly: Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, ... average people talk about things, and small people talk about wine. Fran Lebowitz, US writer and humorist (1950 - )[/nq] I googled talk about ideas things people .
- [nq:1]When I was little, a common, afaict, expression was roughly: Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, ...
- average people talk about things, and small people talk about wine.
- Fran Lebowitz, US writer and humorist (1950 - )[/nq] I googled talk about ideas things people .
- It came up readily with the Lebowitticism, and on later pages I found the supposed original version being discussed, always as "unknown origin".
- quotations specifically, it was raised there a few times but no-one knows.
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9 Answers
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[nq:1]When I was little, a common, afaict, expression was roughly: Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, ... average people talk about things, and small people talk about wine. Fran Lebowitz, US writer and humorist (1950 - )[/nq]
I googled talk about ideas things people . It came up readily with the Lebowitticism, and on later pages I found the supposed original vers
I googled talk about ideas things people . It came up readily with the Lebowitticism, and on later pages I found the supposed original vers
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[nq:2]When I was little, a common, afaict, expression was roughly: ... wine. Fran Lebowitz, US writer and humorist (1950 - )[/nq]
[nq:1]I googled talk about ideas things people . It came up readily with the Lebowitticism, and on later pages ... to google groups and alt.quotations specifically, it was raised there a few times but no-one knows. I blame Readers Digest.[/nq]
One has a certain
[nq:1]I googled talk about ideas things people . It came up readily with the Lebowitticism, and on later pages ... to google groups and alt.quotations specifically, it was raised there a few times but no-one knows. I blame Readers Digest.[/nq]
One has a certain
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[nq:1]When I was little, a common, afaict, expression was roughly: Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about other people.[/nq]
Of course, whoever said it thereby placed himself in the last category.
Richard Yates
Of course, whoever said it thereby placed himself in the last category.
Richard Yates
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[nq:2]When I was little, a common, afaict, expression was roughly: ... talk about things, and small people talk about other people.[/nq]
[nq:1]Of course, whoever said it thereby placed himself in the last category.[/nq]
You would better say he placed himself in the first category, because categorization of discourse in that way is an idea.
[nq:1]Of course, whoever said it thereby placed himself in the last category.[/nq]
You would better say he placed himself in the first category, because categorization of discourse in that way is an idea.
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[nq:2]Of course, whoever said it thereby placed himself in the last category.[/nq]
[nq:1]You would better say he placed himself in the first category, because categorization of discourse in that way is an idea.[/nq]
It may be an idea, but it is not about an idea.
Richard Yates
[nq:1]You would better say he placed himself in the first category, because categorization of discourse in that way is an idea.[/nq]
It may be an idea, but it is not about an idea.
Richard Yates
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[nq:2]You would better say he placed himself in the first category, because categorization of discourse in that way is an idea.[/nq]
[nq:1]It may be an idea, but it is not about an idea.[/nq]
By contrast, yours is about an idea, which makes you great, albeit wrong!
Richard Yates
[nq:1]It may be an idea, but it is not about an idea.[/nq]
By contrast, yours is about an idea, which makes you great, albeit wrong!
Richard Yates
00
[nq:1]category.[/nq]
[nq:2]It may be an idea, but it is not about an idea.[/nq]
[nq:1]By contrast, yours is about an idea, which makes you great, albeit wrong! Richard Yates[/nq]
ROTFLOL
Well, thanks. Even what you all found me was a help.
When I googled I only did ideas and things becaues I couldn't remember for sure the 3rd word. So you straightened that out for me Matti
[nq:2]It may be an idea, but it is not about an idea.[/nq]
[nq:1]By contrast, yours is about an idea, which makes you great, albeit wrong! Richard Yates[/nq]
ROTFLOL
Well, thanks. Even what you all found me was a help.
When I googled I only did ideas and things becaues I couldn't remember for sure the 3rd word. So you straightened that out for me Matti
00
[nq:1]When I was little, a common, afaict, expression was roughly: Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, ... and small people talk about wine. Fran Lebowitz, US writer and humorist (1950 - ) s/ meirman Posting from alt.english.usage[/nq]
I remember is as 'minds' not people.
Here's a clue, though with no substantiation:
Ben Franklin.
I remember is as 'minds' not people.
Here's a clue, though with no substantiation:
Ben Franklin.
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[nq:2]I googled talk about ideas things people . It ... a few times but no-one knows. I blame Readers Digest.[/nq]
[nq:1]One has a certain choice of parentage. Googling "small people talk about" tells us that, in various forms mentioning ideas, ... anon.; and this was only on the first page. The vinous version is also claimed for Woody Allen. CDB[/nq]
I can recall having read something lik
[nq:1]One has a certain choice of parentage. Googling "small people talk about" tells us that, in various forms mentioning ideas, ... anon.; and this was only on the first page. The vinous version is also claimed for Woody Allen. CDB[/nq]
I can recall having read something lik
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