Witty Words from Wise Women: Quips, Quotes, and Comebacks

By B.J. Gallagher

Where do women find inspiration? Often in the words of those who've been there. From creativity to careers, relationships to success, Witty Words from Wise Women provides a collection of quotes, one-liners, and colorful anecdotes that showcase the best and brightest female minds. Witty Words isn't just about inspiration, however. This book has attitude with a capital "A."

"I base most of my fashion taste on what doesn't itch." -Gilda Radner
"I love the male body, it's better designed than the male mind." -Andrea Newman
"If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just." -Anita Roddick

The gutsy, no-holds-barred tone creates a keepsake that's certain to make readers laugh, cry, and identify.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
• Release date: Dec 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449441746

Book preview

Advance Praise for

Witty Words from Wise Women

This book is like having all the wise, loving, courageous, creative women on the planet for your own nurturing mom—and always right there when you need her most. It’s a treasure of wisdom, inspiration, and ideas.

—Susan Page, author of How One of You Can Bring the Two of You Together

I couldn’t put this book down without smiling or laughing many times and circling or highlighting over a dozen brilliant quotes. This collection can easily be one of those gifts-that-keep-on-giving. It will always be appreciated, and it will be used again and again!

—Dr. Beverly Kaye, author of Love ’Em or Lose ’Em

A must read for anyone who knows that gender matters!

—Dr. Judy B. Rosener, author of America’s Competitive Secret: Women Managers

A much needed compendium of wisdom and wit assuring even the most doubtful among us that we are not alone.

—Dr. Kathleen Kelley Reardon, author of They Don’t Get It, Do They? and The Secret Handshake

Other books by

B. J. Gallagher Hateley

Telling Your Story, Exploring Your Faith

A Peacock in the Land of Penguins

(with Warren H. Schmidt)

Pigeonholed in the Land of Penguins

(with Warren H. Schmidt)

Customer at the Crossroads

(with Eric Harvey)

Is It Always Right to Be Right?

(with Warren H. Schmidt)

What Would Buddha Do at Work?

(with Franz Metcalf)

For all the wise, witty women

in my family:

my wonderful mother, Gloria,

along with Karen, Marilyn,

Auntie El, Doris,

Kathy, and little Amy.

Contents

Foreword by Arielle Ford

CHAPTER 1

BETWEEN US GIRLS

Wickedly Wonderful Women’s Wit

CHAPTER 2

GIRLFRIENDS

Woman to Woman, Heart to Heart

CHAPTER 3

MEN

Women Are from Venus,

Men Are from . . . Pluto?

CHAPTER 4

WORK LIFE

The Rat Race

CHAPTER 5

SUCCESS

What Do Women Really Want?

CHAPTER 6

STRUGGLE AND DISAPPOINTMENT

Indomitable Spirit

CHAPTER 7

MONEY

The Best Things in Life Are . . . Expensive

CHAPTER 8

EMPOWERMENT

Can We Have It All?

CHAPTER 9

CREATIVITY AND SELF-EXPRESSION

Show Your True Colors

CHAPTER 10

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Women’s Legacy to the World

CHAPTER 11

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

Living Happily Ever After?

CHAPTER 12

MOTHERHOOD AND FAMILY

Kids, Kith, and Kin

CHAPTER 13

INSPIRATION

Food for Our Souls

Index

Foreword

This little book is like chocolate. Chocolate delights, energizes, comforts, and induces a wonderful sense of

well-being. You will experience all these feelings and more as you indulge yourself in the pleasure of these pages. This delightful collection of quips, quotes, and snappy comebacks from wise, witty women will remind you of some of your own experiences and thoughts about life. As you savor them you will notice that, like chocolate, women’s thoughts and feelings come in different flavors—dark and bitter, milky and smooth, light and creamy, and my own personal favorite, the paradoxical bittersweet. Whatever your preference, you’ll savor these morsels of wit and wisdom as chocolate for your heart and soul.

Arielle Ford, author of

Hot Chocolate for the Soul

BETWEEN US GIRLS

Wickedly Wonderful Women’s Wit

Women say the darndest things! Women are smart; women are insightful; women are introspective; women are observant; women are sensitive; and, often, women are very funny.

If I didn’t laugh, I’d cry, we sometimes say. We laugh at the crazy predicaments we get ourselves into, and the crazy people in our lives, especially our families. Humor is one of our most valuable assets in life, helping us get through difficult situations without killing ourselves . . . or anyone else.

The ability to laugh at ourselves is the best kind of humor. It helps us see things in the proper perspective, and