Terry Pratchett Box Quotes

“There was something called The Rules, Susan knew. They weren't written down, in the same way that mountains weren't written down. They were far more fundamental to the operation of the universe than mere mechanical things like gravity. The Auditors might hate the untidiness caused by the emergence of life, but The Rules did not allow them to do anything about it. The ascent of mankind must have been a boon to them. At least there was a species that could be persuaded to shoot itself in the foot.”
― Terry Pratchett;, Terry Pratchett Box

“YOU MUST NOT CONFUSE THE CONTENT WITH THE CONTAINER. Death sighed. YOU ARE MOSTLY HUMAN. YOU NEED A METAPHOR. AN OBJECT LESSON IS CLEARLY IN ORDER. COME.”
― Terry Pratchett;, Terry Pratchett Box

“I am Mr. White!', he said to the luckless new Auditor that had been brought before him, and shuddered with the astonishment of using that singular word and surviving. 'You cannot be Mr. White also. It would be a matter of confusion.'

'But we are running out of colours', said Mr. Violet, intervening.

'That cannot be the case', said Mr. White. ' There are an infinite number of colours.'

'But there are not that many names.' said Miss Taupe.

'That is not possible. A colour must have a name.'

'We can find only one hundred and three names for green before the colour becomes noticeably either blue or yellow', said Miss Crimson.

'But the shades are endless!'

'Nevertheless, the names are not.”
― Terry Pratchett, Terry Pratchett Box

“A man with all bones came to talk to us he was not scarey at all, he had a big white hors. We pated the hors. He had a sighyve. He told us interesting things and to be careful when crossing the road'
— Essay by Richenda Higgs”
― Terry Pratchett;, Terry Pratchett Box

“* (footnote) - The yeti of the ramtops, where the Discworld's magical field is so intense that it is part of the very landscape, are one of the few creatures to utilize control of personal time for genetic advantage. The result is a kind of physical premonition - you find out what is going to happen next by allowing it to happen. Faced with danger, or any kind of task that involves risk of death, a yeti will save its life up to that point and then proceed with all due caution yet in the comfortable knowledge, that, should everything go pancake-shaped, it will wake up at the point where it saved itself with (,and this is the important part,) knowledge of the events which have just happened but which will not happen now because it's going to be such a damn fool next time.

This is not quite the paradox it appears, because, after it has taken place, it hasn't happened. All that actually remains (is) a memory in the yeti's head, which merely turns out to be remarkably accurate at premonition. The little eddies in time caused by all this are just lost in the noise of all the kinks, dips, and knots put in time by every other living creature.”
― Terry Pratchett, Terry Pratchett Box

“Lu-Tze?'

'Yes, lad?'

'I've got a question. Can you give me a straight answer?'

'What the hell is going on?'

Lu-Tze brushed the snow off a rock.

'Oh...', he said. 'One of the difficult questions.”
― Terry Pratchett;, Terry Pratchett Box

“The Dojo master stood up.

'Hold!', he commanded. 'Do you not want to know the name of the man you are about to destroy?'

The fighter held his stance, glaring at Lu-Tze.

'I don't need to know name of sweeper.', he said.

Lu-Tze rolled the cigarette into a skinny cylinder and winked at the angry man, which only stoked his anger.

'It is always wise to know the name of a sweeper, boy.', said the dojo master. 'And my question was not addressed to you.”
― Terry Pratchett;, Terry Pratchett Box