It's rude to stare, " said the troll. Its mouth opened with a little crest of foam, and shut again in exactly the same way that water closes over a stone. "Is it? Why?" asked Rincewind. How does he hold himself together, his mind screamed at him. Why doesn't he spill? Terry Pratchett
About This Quote

This is a quote from the book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . It's actually a question – "Is it rude to stare?" – and it's answered by the trollish guide, who we'll call Marvin… who we won't. (Well, we'll call him Marvin and keep his real name a secret for the time being.) The guide has never been known for his eloquent answers. Still, you have to admire his directness.

He doesn't just want you to know that staring is rude, he wants you to know that there's no point in asking why. That's not as interesting as some of Marvin's other answers might be. For instance: Horse droppings on Friday cause four days of the week to be removed from the calendar. (And which, by the way, we don't.) The sun is made of green cheese and orbits around a distant star called Solace. And: Don't bother knocking on wood: it just makes it splinter. (Which might make you wonder why anyone would ever knock on wood!) Marvin also appears in The Unadulterated Cat , which contains another fine piece of Stoical wisdom: "Sometimes I wonder what goes on upstairs". Someone should research this further...

Some Similar Quotes
  1. Stop fighting me! " he said, trying to pull on the arm he held. He was in a precarious position himself, straddling the rail as he tried to lean over far enough to get me and actually hold onto me.“ Let go of me! ”... - Richelle Mead
  2. It happens like this. "One day you meet someone and for some inexplicable reason, you feel more connected to this stranger than anyone else--closer to them than your closest family. Perhaps this person carries within them an angel--one sent to you for some higher purpose;... - Lang Leav
  3. There are some things, after all, that Sally Owens knows for certain: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can. - Alice Hoffman
  4. When two people meet and fall in love, there's a sudden rush of magic. Magic is just naturally present then. We tend to feed on that gratuitous magic without striving to make any more. One day we wake up and find that the magic is... - Tom Robbins
  5. She's mad, but she's magic. There's no lie in her fire. - Charles Bukowski
More Quotes By Terry Pratchett
  1. And what would humans be without love?" R A R E, said Death.
  2. It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.
  3. If cats looked like frogs we'd realize what nasty, cruel little bastards they are. Style. That's what people remember.
  4. Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.
  5. I meant, " said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?" Death thought about it. C A T S, he said eventually. CATS ARE NICE.
Related Topics