15 Times Highly Distinguished Persons Dropped Sick Burns

Ah, the power of the zinger! The one-liner that can leave an opponent speechless and a crowd roaring with laughter. Throughout history, some of the most famous figures have been known for their sharp wit and clever comebacks, and this list is a tribute to their mastery of the art of the zinger.
From Søren Kierkegaard’s memorable dismissal of his opponent as a “glob of snot” to Winston Churchill’s classic retort to George Bernard Shaw’s invitation to attend the premiere of his play, these zingers are sure to amuse and entertain. We have Pope John XXIII’s humorous response to the question of how many people work in the Vatican, Edward VIII’s observation about the way parents obey their children in America, and Arthur Schopenhauer’s scathing description of Hegel as a “flat-headed, insipid, nauseating, illiterate charlatan”.
So, without further ado, let us dive into this collection of zingers from the past and present. Enjoy!
Calvin Coolidge: not your typical music critic.

Capote's response to an outrageous request? Initials only.

Pope John XXIII: Half the Vatican working, half not?

Kierkegaard: “Glob of snot” – the final word.

Luplau Janssen/Wiki Commons,
Wiki Commons
The Little Book of Zingers, by Pauline Bickford-Duane (via Amazon)
Thomas Gray: strutting with a stench.

National Portrait Gallery,
John Giles Eccardt/Wiki Commons
A Literary History of Cambridge, by Graham Chainey (via Google Books)
Schopenhauer: “Craziest mystifying nonsense” from Hegel.

John Wilkes: Principles or paramour?

After Richard Houston/Wiki Commons,
Thomas Gainsborough /Wiki Commons
George McClellan

Winston Churchill

Edward VIII

Senator Fritz Hollings: “Drug test? No problem – IQ test?

Samuel Goldwyn vs. Louis B. Mayer

Underwood & Underwood, Wiki Commons,
Los Angeles Times/Wiki Commons
Audience member: “Grateful for no schooling!” Chief Justice: “Indeed!”

Who started the Great War? Not Belgium, says Clemenceau.

Shaw offers Churchill tickets – but Churchill has the last laugh.
