About this quote

People often borrow a clever line to avoid thinking of one themselves. Quoting gives a quick laugh or a tidy point, but it can hide the work of forming your own idea. Notice when you reach for somebody else's line — are you filling silence or dodging risk? Try saying one original sentence next time; imperfect thought will teach you more than a perfect quotation.

When to use it

• At a client pitch when a teammate drops a famous line instead of analysis, you lean over and whisper, "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit."
• In a literature seminar after a classmate pads an essay with famous passages, the professor says aloud, "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit."
• At a family dinner when an uncle keeps repeating old maxims, someone chuckles and offers, "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit."
• After a player parrots a locker-room slogan instead of owning a mistake, the coach shakes his head and uses the line, "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit."