15 popular and perhaps surprising quotations about Santa Claus

Are you writing (or reading) about Santa Claus, as Christmas approaches? From novelists to speechwriters, and from poets to news columnists, wordsmiths weave stories pertaining to this beloved holiday figure each December.

Exceedingly popular for generations, Santa Claus is also known in various parts of the world as Babbo Natale, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Pleznickel, Kanakaloka, Pere Noel, Sinter Klaas, St. Nicholas, or Saint Nick. However he’s tagged, the secret toy-toting Christmas visitor is a holiday favorite and the subject of countless seasonal stories, jokes, poem, songs, quips, and quotes.

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Here are 15 popular and perhaps surprising quotations about Santa Claus to share this Christmas season.

These Santa-related statements, gathered from multiple sources and attributed to various speakers and writers, include comical and ironic and perhaps even thought-provoking sentiments.

1. “Let's be naughty and save Santa the trip.” Gary Allan (1967-____), American country singer

2. “Santa Claus had the right idea. Visit people only once a year.” Victor Borge (1909-2000), Danish comedian and pianist

3. “Of course there is a Santa Claus. It’s just that no single somebody could do all he has to do. So the Lord has spread the task among us all. That’s why everybody is Santa Claus. I am. You are.” Truman Capote (1924-1984), American author

4. “The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.” George Carlin (1937-2008), American comedian

5. “Christmas at my house is always at least six or seven times more pleasant than anywhere else. We start drinking early. And while everyone else is seeing only one Santa Claus, we'll be seeing six or seven.” WC Fields (1880-1946), American humorist

6. “I think we've taken the meaning of Christmas out. People don't stop and think about Jesus or the birth of Jesus. When they think of Christmas, they think of Santa Claus and - for the children, and they think of giving gifts and out-giving the next person of spending their time looking for the right thing for somebody who has everything.” Billy Graham (1918-____), American evangelist

7. “Santa Claus wears a Red Suit, He must be a communist. And a beard and long hair, Must be a pacifist. What's in that pipe that he's smoking?” Arlo Guthrie (1947-____), American folk singer
   
   
8. “A good many things go around in the dark besides Santa Claus.” Herbert Hoover (1874-1964), 31^st US President

9. “Here's what we know about Santa. He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good. I think he's with the NSA.” David Letterman (1947-____), American television host

10. “All the world is happy when Santa Claus comes.” Maud Lindsay (1874-1941), American educator

11. “I played Santa Claus many times, and if you don't believe it, check out the divorce settlements awarded my wives.” Groucho Marx (1890-1977), American comedian and actor

12. “Sometimes I even dress up like Santa Claus.” Dolly Parton (1946-____), American country music star

13. “I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.” Shirley Temple (1928-2014), American actress
    
    
14. “Whenever anyone was unselfish, that was Santa Claus. Christmas Eve was the time when everybody was unselfish. On that one night, Santa Claus was everywhere, because everybody, all together, stopped being selfish and wanted other people to be happy. And in the morning you saw what that had done.” Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), American author

15. “The Bermuda Triangle got tired of warm weather. It moved to Alaska. Now Santa Claus is missing.” Steven Wright (1955-____), American comedian

Such quotations about Santa Claus make novel enclosures for holiday greeting cards, as well as intriguing conversation starters for seasonal gatherings. After all, it’s a fair bet the jolly old elf himself has a hearty sense of humor and a healthy dose of reality.

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25 favorite quotations on perseverance for writers or anyone

Sage statements on hanging on and hanging in

What do NaNoWriMo novelists, cross-country cyclists, marathon runners, mountain climbers, triathletes, and inventors have in common? Perseverance is the key to these and other long-haul endeavors.

What is perseverance?

This trait points to a lasting form of unfailing effort that patiently and wholeheartedly persists until a goal has been reached.

Synonyms for perseverance include constancy, dedication, determination, diligence, drive, endurance, moxie, persistence, purposefulness, resolution, stamina, steadfastness, stick-to-itiveness, and tenacity.

Writers who commit to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November and follow through to complete the Herculean task are supreme examples of perseverance.

Many well-known figures have offered insights about perseverance. Here are 25 top quotations (arranged alphabetically by speaker and gathered from multiple sources) on this admirable character quality.

25 perseverance quotations

1. Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)

2. Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek. Mario Andretti (1840 - ____)

3. Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th. Julie Andrews (1935 - ___)

4. The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't. Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)

5. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

6. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. Confucius (551-479 BC)

7. Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.  Marie Curie (1867-1934)

8. Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure. Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)

9. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

10. The great majority of men are bundles of beginnings. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

11. Though you may hear me holler, and you may see me cry – I'll be dogged, sweet baby, if you gonna see me die. Langston Hughes (1902-1967)

12. Perseverance, secret of all triumphs. Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

13. If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

14. Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

15. Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul. U.S. General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964)

16. It always seems impossible until it's done. Nelson Mandela (1918 - ____)

17. Thankfully, perseverance is a good substitute for talent. Steve Martin (1945 - ____)

18. Genius is eternal patience. Michelangelo (1475-1564)

19. Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. A.A. Milne (1882-1956)

20. It’s always too soon to quit. Norman Vincent Peale (1989-1993)

21. Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little. Plutarch (46-120)

22. I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature. John D. Rockefeller (1939-1937)

23. Every strike brings me closer to the next home run. George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr. (1895-1948)
    
    
24. By perseverance, the snail reached the Ark. Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

25. In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm. In the real world all rests on perseverance.  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

What’s your personal favorite popular quotation on perseverance?

And, if you are a writer who is completing NaNoWriMo this time around, please say so. We’d like to cheer you on! 

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Writer etiquette: Is it OK to point out typos in others' writing?

Oops! Did you just pick out a glitch in another writer’s grammar? How about a wrong wording, a spelling stumble, or a typographical transgression? What should you do about it?

Writers often are quite skilled at editing and proofreading. (At least, we can usually spot errors in others’ work fairly readily. Our own material may be a different story altogether.) As wordsmiths, we tend to possess pretty adept language skills. Many of us aim earnestly to be careful readers.

That’s a two-edged sword.

No one’s perfect. How rare is it for a writer to page through an entire book, magazine, or blog post without catching a single grammatical, spelling, or typographical error? They sort of jump out at the trained eye.

Writer etiquette:  Is it OK to point out typos in others' writing?

Gaffes are almost a given. So what’s a writer to do?

Maybe it’s a good idea to consider these questions before donning one’s volunteer editor hat and lobbing critiques (or helpful suggestions) at other writers’ work.

1. Who is likely to read the item? A private text message, email, or letter is one thing. An online article or publicly available book is another matter.

2. Is the error found in a published piece? A draft or manuscript is easily mended. A printed or posted item may not be. Spoken words (even recorded ones) are virtually impossible to correct. Plus, people are generally more forgiving of misspeaks than of misprints. Is it worth the potential push-back to point out an error?

3. Is it too late for a fix? If a correction isn’t an option, why raise the issue? The proverbial ship has sailed.

4. How well do you know the writer? If it’s a close friend, a family member, or a trusted colleague, a quiet correction may be well received. If the flub comes from a student or a subordinate, then your feedback should be expected. On the other hand, if you’ve spotted a typo on a random blog or in an eBook by an unfamiliar author, you cannot possibly anticipate the potential response. It’s also possible that the flaw entered the picture from an editor’s or headline writer’s desk, rather than at the hands of the actual writer.

5. How bad is the misstep? And is it actually a mistake at all? Is this a case of alternate spellings (such as “color” and “colour,” “favorite” and “favourite,” or “airplane” and “aeroplane”)? If the author is British, the second forms are considered correct. If he or she is American, the first ones are right. Here’s an aside: Sometimes skilled writers break grammatical or spelling rules on purpose, simply to emphasize a point or create a certain effect. It’s called “poetic license.” (Who’d a thunk it?)

6. What is your motivation for bringing up the typo? This is a matter of self-examination. Be honest. Are you aiming to save the writer from potential embarrassment, or do you hope somehow to score personal points or a prideful uptick? Those attitudes are not likely to go over well. It’s a content typo, not a reader’s ego trip.

7. How do you plan to mention the error? Private communication is always the best avenue for such a message. A public post critique, a pointed book review, or a comment in a crowded room are never appropriate for airing others’ errors.

8. How will you phrase your observation? Graciousness and courtesy count for plenty among fellow writers. Snarky or superior-sounding comments are off-putting. Kind observations tend to be more welcome. Also, it’s best to stay focused, pointing out the exact location of the apparent slip-up and steering clear of judgmental or generalizing statements. Remember: You’re just calling attention to a single blooper, not trying to school the writer.

9. Are you prepared for a less-than-positive reaction from the writer? Many people respond defensively to criticism, no matter how gently it is presented. Hey, it’s possible. The author may or may not consider your input, but that’s not your concern. The bottom line is simple: If you are not the editor or publisher, it’s not your job to fix what’s broken. That’s up to the writer.

10. What if someone finds a boo-boo in one of your works someday? This isn’t a far cry for most of us. Unless you have a foolproof editor, it’s a possibility. Grammar- and spell-check programs don’t catch everything. And no writer is a 24/7 Hawkeye. Most of us (if we’re lucky) have a few trusted colleagues or confidantes who secretly and tactfully alert us to dreaded typos when they appear. Such folks are like gold to us.

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