How to Impress People With a Quote

There is nothing worse that sitting around a bunch of scholarly types with nothing smart to say. If you've ever found yourself tongue-tied in a social situation, you can learn to a few quotes to impress just about anyone. All you need are a handful of witty sayings and some practice, and the crowd will be eating out of your hands.

Instructions

1. Appreciate the obscure. Anyone can quote Shakespeare or Einstein, but not many can quote Lao-tzu. Choosing to quote someone who isn't as well known gives you a bit more creative freedom in your delivery. No one can correct you if the saying is new to them.

2. Make sure that the quote is appropriate for the situation. That funny Dave Barry quote probably wouldn't go over well at your Aunt Ida's funeral, so choose your words carefully. It's best to have a handful of quotes on hand, so that you always have something to say no matter what the situation calls for.

3. Work on your delivery. If you want to impress people with a quote, you need to be confident in your delivery. Practice your delivery in front of a mirror, working on eye contact and enunciation. You should appear calm and collected when you rattle off a quote, and act as if you've said those words a hundred times before.

4. Say it in another language, if you can. A quote may sound cool in English, but it sounds really smart in Latin or Spanish.