Earl Derr Biggers
Birthdate: August 24, 1884
Birthplace: Warren, Ohio, USA
Date of Death: April 3, 1933
Occupation: Author and Playwright
Profile: Best known for creating the Chinese detective Charlie Chan.
Website: http://charliechanfamily.tripod.com/id74.html
Number of Quotes: 113
Action speak louder than French.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Alibi, like dead fish, cannot stand test of time.
Keeper of the Keys (1932).
Ambition good servant, but bad master.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Answer to riddle of Sphinx not the only answer which is simple but seems to be elusive.
Behind That Curtain (1928).
Bad alibi like dead fish – cannot stand test of time.
Keeper of the Keys (1932).
Best way to catch rabbit is set trap for rabbit. Not set trap for tiger.
The Black Camel (1929).
Biggest mistakes in history made by people who thought they knew it all.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Careless shepherd make excellent dinner for wolf.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Case very simple – when you know answer.
Keeper of the Keys (1932).
Caution very good life insurance.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Dead men tell no tales. But sometimes they speak in silent language to good detective.
The House Without a Key (1925).
Detective without curiosity is like glass eye at keyhole. Useless.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Discretion sometimes more important than valor.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Do not confuse me with Conan Doyle. I am only humble police detective from Honolulu.
The House Without a Key (1925).
Do not wave stick when trying to catch dog.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Doctor always tell dying man he is fine. Why make last moments gloomy?
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Even wise fly sometimes walk into parlor of spider.
The Black Camel (1929).
Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Every person has in him what doctor call pressure point. Very sensitive spot.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Evidence sometimes like onion. Peel off layer, find another below.
The Black Camel (1929).
Excuse please. Modesty is jewel, but sometimes jewel need polishing.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Facts like photograph. Must study in proper light.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Facts, like photograph, must be studied in proper light.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
First-class detective must also be first-class actor.
Behind That Curtain (1928).
Flattery like cologne water, to be smelt, not swallowed.
Keeper of the Keys (1932).
Footprints on the sands of time are not made by sitting down.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Future like strange country – everyone go there at rate of sixty minutes an hour.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Gossip like the measles. Very catching.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Gun in hand mean man in hurry.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Hasty conclusion like quick exit from theater – sometimes made before finish of play.
Behind That Curtain (1928).
He who would search for pearl must dive below.
The House Without a Key (1925).
Hole in doughnut at least located in center.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Humblest pie sometimes prove most nourishing.
The Black Camel (1929).
I am like man in dark room – feeling around for the hat.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
I am like postman on holiday – I do not wish to hear the bell.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
I am on the track of the truth, which, like the elusive carrot suspended before the donkey, seems always just out of reach.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
I am very humble. Like rabbit listening to big noise in bushes.
Behind That Curtain (1928).
I do not envy the oyster. Its life is undramatic.
The Black Camel (1929).
I feel like man who chase tornado. When he catch, what he do?
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
I have great fondness for the obvious. It lies so much nearer the truth.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
I read character like open book. But sometimes book is in Chinese.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
I speak of the dead with respect. They cannot answer back.
The Black Camel (1929).
If what you say is true, then somebody is lying.
The House Without a Key (1925).
Imagination at times a very dangerous tool.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Impossible sometimes escape through door marked Possible.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
In darkness, all cats are gray.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
It is not the mountain ahead that wears you out – it is the grain of sand in your shoe.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
It is written: The cautious seldom err.
Behind That Curtain (1928).
Jewel of great value often kept in shabby box.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Key to many mysteries often found in waste-basket.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Knavery very active plant, but it bears bitter fruit.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Large door swing on very small hinge.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Loose talk, like cork out of bottle, cannot be put back.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Man who is born to be shot need not fear the dagger.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Man who is chased by tiger cannot stop to pick flowers.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Man who is not strong enough to lift stone must find some other way to move it.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Man who is too sure of himself ride on bubble.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Man who leaps before he looks land in bad place.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Man who play with fire must expect hot fingers.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Man who sits between two chairs may land on floor.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Man who tells too much is like merchant who give samples of all goods – he has nothing left to sell.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Mind, like parachute, only function when open.
Keeper of the Keys (1932).
Modest man always get experience without trouble.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Money, like manure, do no good unless spread.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Murder, like potato chip, cannot stop at one.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Mystery like fog – sunlight burn it away.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Never trust woman who wears her heart on her sleeve. Sleeve sometimes very changeable.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
No man is wise enough to advise himself.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Not all is gold that glitters.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Nothing travel faster than light – except bad news.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Old habit like old shoe – easy to slip into, hard to kick off.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
One look see more than ten hear.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Only very foolish mouse make nest in cat's ear.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Patience is great virtue. Man without patience like lighthouse without light – no good in fog.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Picture, like house, look different when viewed from various angles.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Pleasure of one hour offset by pain of one week.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Policeman's life full of coincidences, but he must not build on them.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Possibilities like dandelions in spring – too numerous to count.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Prejudice, like crooked picture, hang not straight on wall of truth.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Problem like tangled string – best solved by finding end.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Question sometimes the best answer.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Reputation like fine china – once broken, very hard to mend.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Scandal like airplane – once started, difficult to stop.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Search for the truth, like housecleaning, must begin at the bottom.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Secret of success is to try always to improve yourself.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Situation full of hasty conclusions. Like quick exit from theater – sometimes made before finish of play.
Behind That Curtain (1928).
Slippery mind like slippery feet – apt to lead to fall.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Small keys sometimes open large doors.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Smooth words sometimes hide rough intentions.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Sometimes darkest hour just before dawn. Also, sometimes darkest hour just before pitch black.
The Black Camel (1929).
Suspicion like knife – two edges, one for suspect, one for suspicione.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Theory, like mist on eyeglasses, obscure facts.
The Black Camel (1929).
Thief in dark alley work faster than thief in lighted room.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Thousand candles throw same light as one. But one candle easier to blow out.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Time spent with fishing rod never count in life's ledger.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
To know what a man is, see what he does when he is lost in the woods.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Tongue often hang man quicker than rope.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Trouble, like first love, teach many lessons.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Truth is rare fruit in garden of murder.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Truth, like football – receive many kicks before reaching goal.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Two eyes see more than one.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Very bad to put foot in mouth – especially when mouth belong to someone else.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Very difficult to see picture when inside frame.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Very hard to see back of own head.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Very slippery fish, the truth. But I have net with small mesh.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Weights and measures inspector have busy time with human tongue.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
When man have one fact, he fit it with theory. When he have two, he must choose between theories. When he have three – ah, that is time to think.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
When money talks, few are deaf.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
When the jig is up, there is no need for additional dancing.
Keeper of the Keys (1932).
Wife sometimes object to husband's hobby, especially when hobby is another woman.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Wise bird does not build nest on shaky limb.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
Words are like bullets – once fired, they cannot be recalled.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930).
World full of paths, but not all lead to destination.
The Chinese Parrot (1926).
Last on Earth
