Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.

Quote by H L Mencken

Topics: H L Mencken Quotes

The opera is to music what a bawdy house is to a cathedral.

The opera is to music what a bawdy house is to a cathedral.

A Sunday school is a prison in which children do penance for the evil conscience...

A Sunday school is a prison in which children do penance for the evil conscience...

Life is a dead-end street.

Life is a dead-end street.

An idealist is one who, on noticing that roses smell better than a cabbage, concludes...

An idealist is one who, on noticing that roses smell better than a cabbage, concludes...

Women always excel men in that sort of wisdom which comes from experience. To be...

Women always excel men in that sort of wisdom which comes from experience. To be...

Conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone might be looking.

Conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone might be looking.

When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never...

When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never...

It is hard for the ape to believe he descended from man.

It is hard for the ape to believe he descended from man.

In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for;...

In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for;...

I never smoked a cigarette until I was nine.

I never smoked a cigarette until I was nine.

Man is a beautiful machine that works very badly.

Man is a beautiful machine that works very badly.

Nevertheless, it is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended...

Nevertheless, it is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended...

Each party steals so many articles of faith from the other, and the candidates spend...

Each party steals so many articles of faith from the other, and the candidates spend...

When women kiss it always reminds one of prize-fighters shaking hands.

When women kiss it always reminds one of prize-fighters shaking hands.

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.

Puritanism. The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.

Puritanism. The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.

To die for an idea; it is unquestionably noble. But how much nobler it would...

To die for an idea; it is unquestionably noble. But how much nobler it would...

Honor is simply the morality of superior men.

Honor is simply the morality of superior men.

Historian: an unsuccessful novelist.

Historian: an unsuccessful novelist.

A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is...

A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is...