Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008

Verbatim

'I'd like to thank the Academy for courageously breaking the mold this time.' HERBIE HANCOCK, jazz musician, on being the first jazz artist in 43 years to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year

'The only foreign policy thing I remember he said was, he's going to attack Pakistan and embrace Ahmadinejad.' GEORGE W. BUSH, taking a jab at presidential hopeful Barack Obama

'Today is a moment of truth for Ukraine.' YULIA TYMOSHENKO, Ukrainian Prime Minister, about negotiations over a disputed energy debt with neighboring Russia. A last-minute settlement averted a midwinter shutdown of Russian natural gas to Ukraine

'You didn't say anything about our trades, did you? Otherwise you're dead meat.' JEROME KERVIEL, rogue Societe Generale trader, talking with a broker in an Oct. 11 online chat about risky trades that are believed to have cost the bank $7.2 billion

'Hey, you try wagging these puppies around a while and see if you don't have back problems.' DOLLY PARTON, who postponed her upcoming North American tour on doctor's advice to rest her sore back for six to eight weeks

'This government won't fall because of this.' XANANA GUSMAO, Prime Minister of East Timor, about a shoot-out that wounded the country's President, Jose Ramos-Horta, and left rebel leader Alfredo Reinado dead

MORE OF THE BEST QUOTES AT TIME.COM

For daily sound bites, visit time.com/quote

Sources: AFP; Huffington Post; AP; International Herald Tribune; Reuters; Independent