76 Quotes by Alan Perlis

There is no such thing as a free variable.

Every reader should ask himself periodically “Toward what end, toward what end?”—but do not ask it too often lest you pass up the fun of programming for the constipation of bittersweet philosophy.

Computer Science is embarrassed by the computer.

Any noun can be verbed.

When someone says, "I want a programming language in which I need only say what I want done," give him a lollipop.

FORTRAN is not a flower but a weed - it is hardy, occasionally blooms, and grows in every computer.

A good programming language is a conceptual universe for thinking about programming.

C programmers never die. They are just cast into void.

Learning French is trivial: the word for horse is cheval, and everything else follows in the same way.