Because everyone needs a little creativity in their day

July 5, 2006

“Say What?”

Filed under: Challenges, Creative Writing, Getting Inspired, Quick Steps, Say What? — ShadowsEdge @ 3:09 pm
I’m often looking for quotes, either to add to the quote list here or to add to my personal Quotes file. The more I look for suitable quotes, the more often I find myself asking a few questions about the ones I choose.

  • What was the context of the quote?
  • Would any of my characters say something like this? Would I?
  • What other story could be behind this quote
Admittedly, not all the quotes work well within these questions, but quite a few of them do. So here’s your challenge:
  • Read the “Say What?” quote.
  • Write a short explanation or story about why that particular combination of words was uttered.
  • Post your story as a comment or link back to the “Say What?” post that it is based on

It’s up to you whether or not the quote is spoken by the person who originated it. I’ve found several quotes that would fit perfectly in a fictional story.

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82 Comments »

  1. [...] Here’s another Say What? quote for you to work with: “After one look at this planet any visitor form outer space would say ‘I want to see the manager.’” — William S. Burroughs [...]

    Pingback by YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive » Say What? Take Two — July 11, 2006 @ 11:52 am

  2. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? The gods too are fond of a joke — Aristotle [...]

    Pingback by YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive » Say What? Take 3 — July 19, 2006 @ 2:04 pm

  3. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Fortune can, for her pleasure, fools advance, and toss them on the wheels of Chance.” –Juvenal [...]

    Pingback by YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive » Say What? Take Four — August 1, 2006 @ 10:06 am

  4. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted. –Martin Luther King, Jr. Tags:Creative Writing, Everyday Inspiration, Getting Inspired Quick StepsShare and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive » Say What? Take Five — August 10, 2006 @ 2:02 pm

  5. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors. –Francois de la Rochefoucauld Tags:Creative Writing, Everyday Inspiration Quick StepsShare and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive » Say What? Take Six — August 17, 2006 @ 9:02 am

  6. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? The trouble with facts is that there are so many of them. –Samuel McChord Crothers Tags:Creative Writing, Everyday Inspiration, Getting Inspired Quick StepsShare and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive » Say What? Take Seven — August 23, 2006 @ 9:05 am

  7. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? The goal of all inanimate objects is to resist man and ultimately defeat him. –Russell Baker [...]

    Pingback by YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive » Say What? Take Eight — August 28, 2006 @ 9:23 am

  8. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? The only reason some poeple get lost in thought is because its unfamiliar territory. –Paul Fix Tags:Creative Writing, Everyday Inspiration, Getting Inspired Quick StepsShare and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive » Say What? Take Nine — September 6, 2006 @ 10:49 am

  9. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? Everything you can imagine is real. –Pablo Picasso Tags:Creative Writing, Everyday Inspiration, Getting Inspired Quick StepsShare and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Ten » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — September 15, 2006 @ 9:08 am

  10. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? Somethings have to be believed to be seen. –Ralph Hodgson Tags:Creative Writing, Everyday Inspiration, Getting Inspired Quick StepsShare and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Eleven » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — September 20, 2006 @ 8:49 am

  11. [...] Say What? - Here are the original guidelines for the Say What? exercises. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Index #1 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — September 25, 2006 @ 9:45 am

  12. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Twelve » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — October 2, 2006 @ 2:26 pm

  13. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Thirteen » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — October 9, 2006 @ 9:07 am

  14. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Fourteen » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — October 16, 2006 @ 8:45 am

  15. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Fifteen » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — October 23, 2006 @ 8:50 am

  16. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “If you haven’t found something strange during the day, it hasn’t been much of a day.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Sixteen » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — October 30, 2006 @ 9:28 am

  17. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Seventeen » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — November 6, 2006 @ 9:17 am

  18. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Men have become the tools of their tools.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Eighteen » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — November 13, 2006 @ 9:41 am

  19. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Progress isn’t made by early risers. It’s made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take Nineteen » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — November 20, 2006 @ 9:26 am

  20. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #20 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — November 27, 2006 @ 10:16 am

  21. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: ‘O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.’ And God granted it.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #21 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — December 4, 2006 @ 9:25 am

  22. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Here’s something to think about: How come you never see a headline like ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’?” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #22 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — December 11, 2006 @ 9:23 am

  23. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can’t be done.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #24 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — December 18, 2006 @ 9:43 am

  24. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #25 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — January 2, 2007 @ 9:58 am

  25. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #26 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — January 8, 2007 @ 9:21 am

  26. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Nothing is as simple as we hope it will be.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #27 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — January 16, 2007 @ 10:50 am

  27. Note that there are three distinct parses of this statement.
    I believe all of them.

    Jim H.

    Comment by Jim Horning — January 16, 2007 @ 5:53 pm

  28. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “We’re not lost. We’re locationally challenged.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #28 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — January 22, 2007 @ 9:37 am

  29. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #29 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — January 29, 2007 @ 9:24 am

  30. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #30 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — February 5, 2007 @ 9:23 am

  31. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What #31 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — February 12, 2007 @ 9:19 am

  32. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a function.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What #32 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — February 20, 2007 @ 9:36 am

  33. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Adventure is just bad planning.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? #30 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — March 5, 2007 @ 8:15 am

  34. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say WHat #34 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — March 12, 2007 @ 2:33 pm

  35. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “You’re never too old to become younger.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take # 35 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — March 19, 2007 @ 8:07 am

  36. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #36 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — March 26, 2007 @ 8:08 am

  37. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #37 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — April 2, 2007 @ 9:22 am

  38. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled.” [...]

    Pingback by » SayWhat? Take #38 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — April 9, 2007 @ 8:11 am

  39. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” –Napoleon Bonaparte Tags:Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What #39 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — April 16, 2007 @ 8:18 am

  40. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Knowledge is power, if you know it about the right person.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #40 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — April 23, 2007 @ 8:34 am

  41. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “There are two kinds of light–the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.” –James Thurber Tags:Creative Writing, Getting Inspired, Quick Steps Say What?Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #41 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — April 30, 2007 @ 9:09 am

  42. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “A little learning is a dangerous thing but a lot of ignorance is just as bad.” –Bob Edwards Tags:Creative Writing, Getting Inspired, Quick Steps Say What?Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #42 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — April 30, 2007 @ 9:12 am

  43. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #44 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — April 30, 2007 @ 9:17 am

  44. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree, is by accident. That’s where we come in; we’re computer professionals. We cause accidents.” –Nathaniel Borenstein Tags:Creative Writing, Getting Inspired, Quick Steps Say What?Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #47 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — April 30, 2007 @ 9:22 am

  45. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English — up to fifty words used in correct context — no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese.” –Carl Sagan Tags:Creative Writing, Getting Inspired, Quick Steps Say What?Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #50 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — April 30, 2007 @ 9:27 am

  46. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something.” –Wilson Mizner Tags:Creative Writing, Getting Inspired, Quick Steps Say What?Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #48 » YourCre8tivity.com » Blog Archive — June 18, 2007 @ 5:10 am

  47. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.” –Mark Twain Tags:Creative Writing, Getting Inspired, Quick Steps Say What?Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #49 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — June 25, 2007 @ 5:01 am

  48. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “I’m worried that the universe will soon need replacing. It’s not holding a charge.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #51 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — July 9, 2007 @ 5:16 am

  49. [...] “Say What?” - July 5, 2006 [...]

    Pingback by » Time Travel - One Year Ago (July 4 - July 10) » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — July 10, 2007 @ 10:08 am

  50. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #53 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — July 23, 2007 @ 5:12 am

  51. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #54 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — July 30, 2007 @ 5:01 am

  52. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #55 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — August 6, 2007 @ 5:02 am

  53. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #56 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — August 13, 2007 @ 5:04 am

  54. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #57 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — August 20, 2007 @ 5:01 am

  55. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “It is always the best policy to speak the truth–unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #58 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — August 27, 2007 @ 5:03 am

  56. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “We are none of us infallible–not even the youngest of us.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #59 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — September 3, 2007 @ 5:12 am

  57. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “There are more of them than us.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #60 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — September 10, 2007 @ 5:10 am

  58. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #61 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — September 17, 2007 @ 5:03 am

  59. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #62 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — September 24, 2007 @ 5:25 am

  60. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #63 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — October 1, 2007 @ 5:13 am

  61. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #64 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — October 8, 2007 @ 5:02 am

  62. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #65 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — October 15, 2007 @ 5:00 am

  63. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “God help those who do not help themselves.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #66 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — October 22, 2007 @ 5:04 am

  64. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “I’ve always found paranoia to be a perfectly defensible position.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #67 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — October 29, 2007 @ 5:04 am

  65. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #68 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — November 5, 2007 @ 10:17 am

  66. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “What happens when the future has come and gone?” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #69 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — January 7, 2008 @ 5:03 am

  67. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “A fashion is nothing but an induced epidemic.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #70 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — January 14, 2008 @ 5:02 am

  68. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “As long as people will accept crap, it will be financially profitable to dispense it.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #71 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — January 21, 2008 @ 5:09 am

  69. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #72 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — January 28, 2008 @ 5:16 am

  70. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Seek simplicity, and distrust it.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #73 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — February 4, 2008 @ 5:00 am

  71. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “People who reach the top of the tree are only those who haven’t got the qualifications to detain them at the bottom.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? take #74 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — February 11, 2008 @ 5:01 am

  72. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #75 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — February 18, 2008 @ 5:02 am

  73. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Drive-in banks were established so most of the cars today could see their real owners.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #76 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — February 25, 2008 @ 5:04 am

  74. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #77 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — March 3, 2008 @ 5:11 am

  75. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Formerly, when religion was strong and science weak, men mistook magic for medicine; now, when science is strong and religion weak, men mistake medicine for magic.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #78 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — March 10, 2008 @ 5:01 am

  76. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “If God lived on earth, people would break his windows.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #79 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — March 17, 2008 @ 5:15 am

  77. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #80 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — March 24, 2008 @ 5:01 am

  78. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #81 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — March 31, 2008 @ 5:05 am

  79. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “What I look forward to is continued immaturity followed by death.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #82 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — April 7, 2008 @ 5:02 am

  80. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “If absolute power corrupts absolutely, does absolute powerlessness make you pure?” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #83 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — April 14, 2008 @ 5:01 am

  81. [...] Here’s this week’s Say What? “If you stay in beverly Hills too long you become a Mercedes.” [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #84 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — April 21, 2008 @ 5:07 am

  82. [...] this week’s Say What? “I’ve wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I [...]

    Pingback by » Say What? Take #85 » YourCre8tivity.com - Creative Adventures » Blog Archive — April 28, 2008 @ 5:04 am

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