167 Quotes by Dashiell Hammett

But besides I haven’t the time: I’m too busy trying to see that you don’t lose any of the money I married you for.” I kissed her.

The boy spoke two words, the first a short guttural verb, the second “you.” “People lose teeth talking like that.” Spade’s voice was still amiable though his face had become wooden. “If you want to hang around you’ll be polite.” The boy repeated his two words.

A bullet kissed a hole in the door-frame close to my noodle.

Now I’m going to have my fun. I’ve got ten thousand dollars of your money to play with. I’m going to use it opening Poisonville up from Adam’s apple to ankles.

I suppose you’ll see her. You’ll be disappointed at first. Then without being able to say how or when it happened, you’ll find you’ve forgotten your disappointment, and the first thing you know you’ll be telling her your life’s history, and all your troubles and hopes.

I’ve been as bad an influence on American literature as anyone I can think of.

He said: “Now there’s another thing: I had some morphine I was experimenting with and somebody stole it, about twenty grains.” “Experimenting how?” “Taking it. I wanted to study the effects.” “And how’d you like them?” I asked. “Oh, I didn’t expect to like it. I just wanted to know about it. I don’t like things that dull my mind. That’s why I don’t very often drink, or even smoke. I want to try cocaine, though, because that’s supposed to sharpen the brain, isn’t it?

You’re not going to go around poking at the fire and straightening up the room again, are you?

That’s what it was. He wasn’t any more Wynant than I am. You know how it is: we told the Philly police he’d sent a wire from there and broadcasted his description, and for the next week anybody that’s skinny and maybe got whiskers is Wynant to half of the State of Pennsylvania.