110+ Mae West Quotes About Useless Conventions
Mary Jane West, popularly recognized as actress Mae West, was destined to go against the flow of societal expectations. Before she became an icon of the 20th Century, West spent the early part of her childhood as a vaudeville performer.
By the time she was 18, West was starring in plays she wrote. One title landed her in jail for ten days with a $500 fine for obscenity. She was released for good behavior, but her days of causing a stir were far from over. West continued performing and writing, and eventually caught the attention of Paramount Pictures. After signing a motion picture contract in 1932, she wrote most of the films she starred in. Many are laced with flirtatious characters and memorable double entendres. As a comedian, playwright, and sex symbol, her sizzling personality and unique turn of phrase kept film censorship associations on their toes and entertained audiences for decades. Her contribution to entertainment was recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars in American cinema.
In the days of more traditional roles for women to remain demure and austere, West became a pioneer for ducking convention. Her numerous candid quips include: “When I’m good, I’m very, very good, but when I’m bad, I’m better.” Since her life was so remarkable with the sultry verve she shared on-screen, her words matter to many, so read and share these memorable quotes.
Table of Contents
Best Mae West Quotes
- Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere. Mae West
- An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises. Mae West
- No one can have everything, so you have to try for what you want most. Mae West
- Don’t let a man put anything over on you except an umbrella. Mae West
- I don’t like myself, I’m crazy about myself. Mae West
- If a little is great, and a lot is better, then way too much is just about right! Mae West
- I’m no model lady. A model’s just an imitation of the real thing. Mae West
- Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often. Mae West
- Everything’s in the mind. That’s where it all starts. Knowing what you want is the first step toward getting it. Mae West
- It is better to be looked over than overlooked. Mae West
- I speak two languages, Body and English. Mae West
- Sex is emotion in motion. Mae West
- The score never interested me, only the game. Mae West
- Words should be used as tools of communication and not as a substitute for action. Mae West
- The best way to behave is to misbehave. Mae West
- It takes two to get one in trouble. Mae West
- Any time you got nothing to do – and lots of time to do it – come on up. Mae West
- It isn’t what I do, but how I do it. It isn’t what I say, but how I say it, and how I look when I do it and say it. Mae West
- Love isn’t an emotion or an instinct – it’s an art. Mae West
- Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly. Mae West
- Brains are an asset, if you hide them. Mae West
- When you get the personality, you don’t need the nudity. Mae West
- Curve: The loveliest distance between two points. Mae West
- I’m single because I was born that way. Mae West
- Don’t marry a man to reform him – that’s what reform schools are for. Mae West
- Some of the wildest men make the best pets. Mae West
- Getting married is like trading in the adoration of many for the sarcasm of one. Mae West
- Sex with love is the greatest thing in life. But sex without love — that’s not so bad either. Mae West
- Good theater is not what is expected, but what surprises. Mae West
- Hollywood was like a mouse being followed by a cat called television. Mae West
- I didn’t discover curves; I only uncovered them. Mae West
- I consider sex a misdemeanor, the more I miss, de meaner I get. Mae West
- I believe in the single standard — for men and women. Mae West
- I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it. Mae West
- I’m a woman of very few words, but lots of action. Mae West
- A man’s kiss is his signature. Mae West
- I’m no angel, but I’ve spread my wings a bit. Mae West
- Ladies who play with fire must remember that smoke gets in their eyes. Mae West
- Men are all alike – except the one you’ve met who’s different. Mae West
- Money is of value for what it buys, and in love it buys time, place, intimacy, comfort, and a private corner alone. Mae West
- Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I’m tired. Mae West
- Sometimes I don’t drink so the next day I can remember having fun. Mae West
- The best way to hold a man is in your arms. Mae West
- The curve is more powerful than the sword. Mae West
- We’re intellectual opposites. Well, I’m intellectual and you’re opposite. Mae West
- Dress gives one the outward sign from which people in general can, and often do, judge upon the inward state of mind and feelings. Mae West
- I freely chose the kind of life I led because I was convinced that a woman has as much right as a man to live the way she does if she does no actual harm to society. Mae West
- Well, the end of another busy day. I can’t wait till I get back to bed. If that don’t work I’ll try to sleep. Mae West
- You may think you’re in love when the passions of sex get hold of you, but if you didn’t love the man before, you won’t love him after. Like him, maybe, but not love him. Mae West
Famous Mae West Quotes
- When I’m good, I’m very good, but when I’m bad, I’m better. Mae West
- Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can’t figure out what from. Mae West
- I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond. Mae West
- Love thy neighbor – and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier. Mae West
- Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? Mae West
- I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure. Mae West
- There are no good girls gone wrong – just bad girls found out. Mae West
- To err is human – but it feels divine. Mae West
- All discarded lovers should be given a second chance, but with somebody else. Mae West
- Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. Mae West
- When women go wrong, men go right after them. Mae West
- How tall are you big boy? Six foot nine inches! Let’s go up to my place and talk about the nine inches! Mae West
- Love is what you make it and who you make it with. Mae West
- I have never loved a man as much as I have loved myself. Mae West
- Save a boyfriend for a rainy day – and another, in case it doesn’t rain. Mae West
- A dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up. Mae West
- Let’s get out of these wet clothes and into a dry Martini… Mae West
- I don’t know a lot about politics, but I can recognise a good party man when I see one. Mae West
- A good man is hard to find — but you’ll mostly find him asleep. Mae West
- His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork. Mae West
- I meet a man with a thousand dollars and leave him with two; that’s the meaning of subtraction. Mae West
- I like my clothes tight enough to show I’m a woman, but loose enough to show I’m a lady. Mae West
- Women like a man with a past, but they prefer a man with a present. Mae West
- Don’t keep a man guessing too long – he’s sure to find the answer somewhere else. Mae West
- Gentlemen prefer blondes, but who says blondes prefer gentlemen? Mae West
- It’s hard to find a good man, but it’s good to find a hard one. Mae West
- Good sex is like good bridge. If you don’t have a good partner, you’d better have a good hand. Mae West
- Hiring someone to write your autobiography is like hiring someone to take a bath for you. Mae West
- I believe that one day the world will judge the witch hunt against homosexuals just as harshly as it judges the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust. Mae West
- I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it. Mae West
- I wrote the story myself. It’s about a girl who lost her reputation and never missed it. Mae West
- I’m the kinda girl who works for Paramount by day, and Fox all night. Mae West
- If you put your foot in it, be sure it’s your best foot. Mae West
- In my long and colorful career, one thing stands out: I have been misunderstood. Mae West
- JUDGE: Are you trying to show contempt for this court?MAE WEST: I was doin’ my best to hide it. Mae West
- Kiss and make up-but too much makeup has ruined many a kiss. Mae West
- Some women pick men to marry–and others pick them to pieces. Mae West
- Sometimes it seems to me I’ve known so many men that the FBI ought to come to me first to compare fingerprints. Mae West
- Good women are no fun… The only good woman I can recall in history was Betsy Ross. And all she ever made was a flag. Mae West
- My advice to those who think they have to take off their clothes to be a star is, once you’re boned, what’s left to create the illusion? Let em wonder. I never believed in giving them too much of me. Mae West
Mae West Quotes on Life
- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. Mae West
- It’s not the men in my life that count, it’s the life in my men. Mae West
- Life’s just a merry-go-round. Come on up. You might get a brass ring. Mae West
- Men are my life, diamonds are my career. Mae West
- I believe that it’s better to be looked over than it is to be overlooked. Mae West
- Don’t ever make the same mistake twice unless it pays. Mae West
- One and one is two, and two and two is four, and five will get you ten if you know how to work it. Mae West
- Everyone has the right to run his own life- even if you’re heading for a crash. What I’m against is blind flying. Mae West
- Your real security is yourself. You know you can do it, and they can’t ever take that away from you. Mae West
- Keep a diary and one day it’ll keep you. Mae West
- I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor, and rich is better. Mae West
- Virtue has its own reward, but no sale at the box office. Mae West
- Men are my hobby, if I ever got married I’d have to give it up. Mae West
- You can do what you want, but saving love doesn’t bring any interest. Mae West
- Don’t cry for a man who’s left you–the next one may fall for your smile. Mae West
- Look your best – who said love is blind? Mae West
- What’s the good of resisting temptation? There’ll always be more. Mae West
- It’s easy to get married, but hard to stay that way. Mae West
- Love conquers all things except poverty and toothache. Mae West
- Marriage is like a book. The whole story takes place between the covers. Mae West
- Always remember honey. A good motto is: Take all you can get and give as little as possible. Mae West
- Don’t forget honey. Never let one man worry your mind. Find ’em, fool ’em and forget ’em. Mae West
- Love is like a booger, you pick and pick at it. Then when you get it you wonder how to get rid of it. Mae West
Mae West Quotes About Age
- Women are as old as they feel and men are old when they lose their feelings. Mae West
- A man has more character in his face at forty than at twenty – he has suffered longer. Mae West
- If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. Mae West
- You are never too old to become younger! Mae West
- A man can be short and dumpy and getting bald but if he has fire, women will like him. Mae West
You may also like:
Stepping Away From Stereotypes | Quotes For Women
A Candle in the Wind | 109 Marilyn Monroe Quotes