Overhearing Quotes

I'm a really good eavesdropper. I listen to what people say and remember all the buzzwords.

The word 'eavesdropper' originally referred to people who, under the pretence of taking in some fresh air, would stand under the 'eavesdrip' of their house - from which the collected raindrops would fall - in the hopes of catching any juicy tid-bits of information that might come their way from their neighbour's property.

I'd love to be able to be invisible, because I like to eavesdrop.

The key to good eavesdropping is not getting caught.

When you have live music in the background, people are usually talking over it. You don't actually get to listen to live music in your space all the time.

I'm inspired by watching and listening to people. For example, my first novel, The Scale, came to life after I overheard two women discussing their struggle with their weight at the gym.

Most non-New Yorkers, finding themselves within hearing range of strangers' conversation, think it's nice to pretend they didn't hear. But many New Yorkers think it's nice to toss in a relevant comment.

Why were you lurking under our window?" "Yes - yes, good point, Petunia! What were you doing under our windows, boy?" "Listening to the news," said Harry in a resigned voice. His aunt and uncle exchanged looks of outrage. "Listening to the news! Again?" "Well, it changes every day, you see," said Harry.

I don't live with earplugs. I don't like the spotlight - but I like overhearing conversations.

You get all sorts of people in the library, and the librarian gets it all.

People read stuff over your shoulder when you're in public, and when you write the kind of stuff I do, and people read it over your shoulder, it makes you a little self-conscious.

My biggest source of inspiration is listening to people's conversations. I'm a big eavesdropper.

When I was writing The Shadow of the Glen I got more aid than any learning could have given me from a chink in the floor of the old Wicklow house where I was staying, that let me hear what was being said by the servent girls in the kitchen.

Every time you overhear something hurtful, I want you to do something kind for someone else.

Small pitchers have wyde eares.

'The Conversation' is one that, if you watch 'The Conversation' for the opening sequence, where you hear a conversation taking place as the master - this zoom from way up is zooming in over a park. And I was just absolutely blown away by it because you can hear exactly what's happening, but you don't see. You've got no idea who's talking.

I don't really want to be in the business of observing conversations.

Any place is good for eavesdropping, if you know how to eavesdrop.

The groundsell speakes not save what it heard at the hinges.

Literature is eavesdropping.

Kids who don't eavesdrop on adult conversations are doomed to a childhood of ignorance.

Listening doesn't mean trying to understand. Anything, however trifling, may be of use one day. What matters is to know something that others don't know you know.

I have a terrible weakness for collecting snatches of other people's conversations, and occasionally I'm rewarded with unusual fragments of knowledge. My favorite of the day came from a large but shapely woman sitting nearby whom I learned was the owner of a local lingerie shop. 'Beh oui,' she said to her companion, waving her spoon for emphasis, 'il faut du temps pour la corsetterie.' You can't argue with that. I made a mental note not to rush things next time I was shopping for a corset, and leaned back to allow the waiter through with the next course.

Walls have tongues, and hedges ears.