30 Simon Hoggart Quotes for You to Enjoy

Simon Hoggart

British Journalist

Born: May 26, 1946

Book Day Me Own World You

Related authors: Alastair Campbell Caitlin Moran David Attenborough Malcolm Muggeridge Martin Bashir Nigella Lawson Rose George Tony Wilson

I know of no wars started by anyone to impose lack of religion on someone else. We have lethal Sunni v Shia, Catholic against Protestant, but no agnostic suicide bombers attack crowded atheist pubs. Simon Hoggart

I think the great thing about grandparents is seeing another home, realising that people you love can have different priorities, different diversions, different opinions and lead quite different lives from the ones you see every day, and that is immensely valuable. Simon Hoggart

Love Day Home Great You Every Day People Valuable Different Opinions Every Think Immensely See Seeing About Diversion Lead Great Thing Another Opinions Priorities Quite Different Realising Grandparents Lives Thing

Americans are fascinated by their own love of shopping. This does not make them unique. It's just that they have more to buy than most other people on the planet. And it's also an affirmation of faith in their country. Simon Hoggart

I cannot be alone in being pretty nauseated by Red Nose Day, or at least its television manifestation. Do I think that wretchedly poor children in Africa should get food and life-saving drugs? Of course. Do I want to be hectored into contributing by celebrities who earn more in a 10-minute slot than many of these families get in a year? Nope. Simon Hoggart

Alone Food Day Year Think Earn Television Slot Pretty More Life-Saving Red Course Least Celebrities Families Than Contributing Get Africa Being Nose Children Want Cannot Manifestation Poor Should Being Pretty Who Many

Kind 'Guardian' readers have been forwarding me round robin Christmas newsletters for years now: lengthy missives full of perfect children, exotic holidays, talented pets and endless, tedious detail. The notes that accompanied them revealed they had inspired in the original recipients everything from mild irritation to absolute rage. Simon Hoggart

Christmas Me Guardian Rage Recipients Everything Kind Detail Absolute Perfect Inspired Had Talented Robin Readers Revealed Accompanied Been Years Exotic Endless Children Irritation Holidays Lengthy Them Notes Mild Full Original Now Round Pets Tedious

The formal Washington dinner party has all the spontaneity of a Japanese imperial funeral. Simon Hoggart

Dinner Party Dinner Party Imperial Spontaneity Formal Japanese Washington Funeral

She is the first head of government in history to give a whole country its second childhood. Simon Hoggart

Government History First Country Give Head She Childhood Whole Second

Living in New York is like being at some terrible late-night party. You're tired, you've had a headache since you arrived, but you can't leave because then you'd miss the party. Simon Hoggart

Life was so much simpler in pre-video days when everyone refused invitations because the 'Forsyte Saga' was on. Now we all just have a long list of unwatched shows, all of which, it seems, our friends are raving about. I feel as outdated as if I wore a Fair Isle sweater, ate Pot Noodle and had a two-bar electric fire in the sitting room. Simon Hoggart

Life Long Fire Everyone Our Ate Outdated About Pot Seems Long List Simpler Had Raving Feel Invitations Days Fair Because Saga Isle Noodle Friends Sitting List Just Refused Which Wore Room Sweater Much Electric Shows Now

To be fair to the Inquisition, they only used confessions extracted after the torture had ended, which let them claim that admissions had been freely given; the fact that the torture would have started again if they hadn't confessed was a minor detail. Simon Hoggart

Extracted Inquisition Claim Detail Would Torture Minor Admission Given Only Fact Had Freely Fair Been Ended Confessions After Which Again Them Used Started

When people move from one extreme set of views to embrace another equally batty picture of the world, they expect us to applaud their choice, as if the fact that they have rejected one form of nuttiness somehow validates the screwball views they hold now. Simon Hoggart

Switzerland still has a huge share of the watch market, all advertised at the airport on illuminated hoardings. Gosh, they are ugly. Simon Hoggart

Ugly Market Airport Share Gosh Still Huge Illuminated Switzerland Watch

During my own gap year, I learned an invaluable lesson - that I was a lousy teacher. Even though the children I 'taught,' in upcountry Uganda, were desperate for qualifications, they largely ignored me. Until, that is, I realised that they wanted to hear about other young persons around the world. Simon Hoggart

Teacher Me World Desperate Year Own Young Lesson Other Though About Invaluable My Own Qualifications Until Learned Around Uganda Were Hear Lousy Taught Children Wanted Realised Persons Ignored Even Gap Largely

What has always puzzled me is the flexibility of God's word. For instance, Catholics can now eat meat on Fridays. And limbo has been abolished. How does this work? Who tells them? Simon Hoggart

A married vicar is likely to regard his vocation as a job - a tough and ill-paid one, to be sure - but a priest is seen as a pillar of the community, answerable only to his parishioners and his God, rather than to a wife and children. Simon Hoggart

My colleague Bill Keegan has written a very short book ('Saving the World?') on an unlikely topic - he is the first economist to try to rehabilitate Gordon Brown. Simon Hoggart

Book World Try First Saving Unlikely Topic Colleague Brown He Written Economist Gordon Very Short Bill

One of the pleasures of staying with friends is that you get to browse their shelves. I always arrive with a book, but I almost never read it. It would be like sitting at their dinner table and opening a packet of sandwiches. Simon Hoggart

You Book Dinner Pleasures Would Would-Be Dinner Table Table Staying Browse Never Almost Opening Like Read Always Shelves Arrive Friends Get Sitting Packet Sandwiches

What puzzles me is the way that some of the smaller, unknown chateaux imagine that because Chinese millionaires pay ludicrous sums for the great names, they can overcharge for their own inferior fluids. There is no trickledown effect in wine prices. Simon Hoggart

Every time humanists try to get a slot on 'Thought For the Day' on Radio 4, they are told it's reserved for 'the faith community,' whatever that is. Yet 'TfT' is almost always pabulum about how God wants us all to love each other and care for the unfortunate. I'm sure humanists would say much the same, without God. Simon Hoggart

Love God Faith Time Day Try Care Thought Whatever Community Every Other Every Time Say Would Slot About Almost For The Day Sure Without Always How Get Same Wants Unfortunate To Love Us Much Radio Each Reserved

I also learned to play Fruit Ninja on an iPad. It is quite hypnotic, and I hope one day to get past 100 points. I remembered that David Cameron admits to being an addict. I wonder if it helps him in his work. 'Great, just destroyed a pineapple! Reminds me, shall we send those grenades to the Syrian rebels?' Simon Hoggart

Work Hope Day Great Me Fruit Past Addict Those Ninja One Day Syrian Destroyed Admit Shall David David Cameron Hypnotic Points Remembered Reminds Also Him Learned iPad His Cameron Wonder Get Send Quite Just Being Grenades Helps Rebels Play

There are few tribes more loathsome than the American Right, and their vicious use of the shortcomings in the NHS to attack Barack Obama's attempts at health reform are a useful reminder. Simon Hoggart

Health Few Loathsome Tribes Obama More Attack Attempts Reminder Health Reform Than Reform American Vicious Barack Shortcomings Use Useful Right

All over the U.S. there are people whose lives are being destroyed for lack of proper health care provision, and there is no sight more odious than the rich, powerful and arrogant trying to keep it that way. Simon Hoggart

'Sir' Richard Branson may be the Julian Assange of British business, in that both believe the world revolves around them. Hence Branson's decision to set up an air service between Manchester and London, above the route of the train line that's been taken from him. Simon Hoggart

Service Business World Decision Believe Air London Above Both Taken Between Him Around Line Been Up Sir Train Revolves Manchester May Them Richard Hence Route British Set

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