“You can't dance cheerfully. Dancing is too important. It can be wild or solemn or gay or lewd or art for art's sake, but it can't be cheerful.”

“You can't base your actions on the theory that anyone you don't keep your eye on is apt to get killed.”

“I have undertaken to to find an explanation for something that can't possibly be explained-Nero Wolfe”

“Only the man that knows to little, knows too much." Nero Wolfe”

“Mrs. Rachel Bruner: [trying to goad Wolfe] I thought you were afraid of nobody and nothing.Nero Wolfe: [unruffled] I can dodge folly without backing into fear.”

“Afraid? I can dodge folly without backing into fear.”

“If your ego is in good shape you will pretend you're surprised if a National Chairman calls you to tell you his party wants to nominate you for President of the United States, but you're not really surprised.”