Booth Tarkington Quotes

Quick-circulating slanders mirth afford; and reputation bleeds in every word.

Any rumor you can think of, I've been a part of it.

I know what they said even if they would not say it to my face. People love to talk. They love to slander you if you have any substance.

Any man familiar with public life realizes the foul gossip which ripples just under the surface about almost every public man, and especially about every President

Don't indulge in gossip. ... People who throw mudballs always manage to end up getting a little on themselves.

Gossip is always a personal confession either of malice or imbecility.

There are a set of malicious, prating, prudent gossips, both male and female, who murder characters to kill time; and will rob a young fellow of his good name before he has years to know the value of it.

There were a lot of rumors spread about me. Of course, I didn't show up to defend myself, so my absence helped create even more.

For enemies carry about slander not in the form in which it took its rise . The scandal of men is everlasting; even then does it survive when you would suppose it to be dead.

Hating anything in the way of ill-natured gossip ourselves, we are always grateful to those who do it for us and do it well.

He that easily believes rumors has the principle within him to augment rumors. It is strange to see the ravenous appetite with which some devourers of character and happiness fix upon the sides of the innocent and unfortunate.

Gossip is never fatal until it is denied.

There is nothing which wings its flight so swiftly as calumny, nothing is uttered with more ease; nothing is listened to with more readiness, nothing disbursed more widely.

It is perfectly monstrous,' he said, at last, 'the way people go about nowadays saying things against one behind one's back that are absolutely and entirely true.

The widespread interest in gossip is inspired, not by a love of knowledge but by malice: no one gossips about other people's secret virtues, but only about their secret vices. Accordingly most gossip is untrue, but care is taken not to verify it. Our neighbour's sins, like the consolations of religion, are so agreeable that we do not stop to scrutinise the evidence closely.

gossip, after it reaches a certain point of insult and falsehood, becomes a source of amusement to its victims.

Into the space of one little hour sins enough may be conjured up by evil tongues to blast the fame of a whole life of virtue.

All of a sudden I found myself with the reputation of being a swinger and a home-wrecker. Beverly Hills wives were supposed to live in fear in case I cast my green orbs in the direction of their men. Ninety-nine per cent of this was total fabrication.

The slander of some people is as great a recommendation as the praise of others.

Many a wretch has rid on a hurdle who has done less mischief than utterers of forged tales, coiners of scandal, and clippers of reputation.

There are new rumors about me every day.

People started saying I was ignoring my country, making up stories about me. Ludicrous things, like that I throw tea on my assistants.

People like scandals.

A man calumniated is doubly injured - first by him who utters the calumny, and then by him who believes it.