These fantastically fanciful Alice in Wonderland quotes will have you falling through the looking glass
50 Alice in Wonderland Quotes That Are Witty and Whimsical
Updated Sep. 01, 2024
Curiouser and curiouser Alice in Wonderland quotes
The timeless classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland offers bookworms of every age a whimsical escape from the ordinary. Lewis Carroll led readers headfirst into the topsy-turvy world of Wonderland, a place where logic takes a backseat and the laws of reality are merely suggestions. Whether you’re a seasoned wanderer of Wonderland or a curious newcomer, you’ll find something undeniably magical within the pages of this story. It’s why Alice in Wonderland quotes are so enduring.
Book quotes are one of the ways I love to quickly reimmerse myself in the whimsy of my favorite books. To give you a quick Alice fix, I’ve collected dozens of Alice in Wonderland sayings from the original book and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. I’ve also thrown in some quotes from American McGee’s Alice (a popular video game that came out in 2000) and the many film adaptations (Disney’s classic included!), which are as wonderfully weird as their source material.
So grab your teacup, put on your most eccentric hat and prepare to explore the profound and peculiar Alice in Wonderland quotations from one of the greatest books ever written.
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Trippy Alice in Wonderland quotes
1. “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” —The White Queen in Through the Looking-Glass
2. “You know you say things are ‘much of a muchness’—did you ever see such a thing as a drawing of a muchness?” —The Dormouse in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
3. “I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, ‘Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.'” —Alice in Through the Looking-Glass
4. “Off with their heads!” —The Queen of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
5. “It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.” —The White Queen in Through the Looking-Glass
6. “‘The time has come,’ the walrus said, ‘to talk of many things: Of shoes—and ships—and sealing wax—of cabbages and kings.” —Tweedledee in Through the Looking-Glass
7. “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?” —Alice in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
8. “‘Contrariwise,’ continued Tweedledee, ‘if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.'” —Tweedledee in Through the Looking-Glass
9. “The Duchess! The Duchess! Oh my dear paws! Oh my fur and whiskers! She’ll get me executed, as sure as ferrets are ferrets!” —The White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
10. “‘Well, I never heard it before,’ said the Mock Turtle; ‘but it sounds uncommon nonsense.'” —The Mock Turtle in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland is known for some of the funniest quotes, and we have Carroll’s creative language to thank for that. He was a master at playing with form, resulting in whimsical sentences that might seem like gibberish at first glance yet frequently reveal their own kind of sense.
Funny Alice in Wonderland quotes
11. “She doesn’t know what an unbirthday is.” —The March Hare in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
12. “‘Begin at the beginning,’ the King said gravely, ‘and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'” —The King in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
13. “I went to a hunt ball once. I didn’t like it—terrible people. They all started hunting me.” —The Cheshire Cat in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
14. “‘No, no! The adventures first,’ said the Gryphon in an impatient tone: ‘explanations take such a dreadful time.'” —The Gryphon in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
15. “If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.” —The Duchess in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
16. “Haste makes waste, so I rarely hurry. But if a ferret were about to dart up my dress, I’d run.” —The Cheshire Cat in American McGee’s Alice
17. “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” —The Red Queen in Through the Looking-Glass
The randomness and humor found in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass continue to make these beloved children’s books charming even over a century later, and these comical quotes are a prime example of that enduring appeal.
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Cheshire Cat quotes
18. “You may have noticed that I’m not all there myself.” —The Cheshire Cat in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
19. “I’ve never trusted toadstools, but I suppose some must have their good points.” —The Cheshire Cat in American McGee’s Alice
20. “Well, some go this way, and some go that way. But as for me, myself, personally, I prefer the shortcut.” —The Cheshire Cat in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
21. “We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” —The Cheshire Cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
22. “Here’s a riddle: When is a croquet mallet like a billy club? I’ll tell you: Whenever you want it to be!” —The Cheshire Cat in American McGee’s Alice
23. “It looks like you ran afoul of something with wicked claws.” —The Cheshire Cat in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
24. “Can you stand on your head?” —The Cheshire Cat in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
25. “Why, she simply said that you’re a fat, pompous, bad-tempered old tyrant!” —The Cheshire Cat in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
26. “You see a dog growls when it’s angry, and wags its tail when it’s pleased. Now I growl when I’m pleased, and wag my tail when I’m angry. Therefore I’m mad.” —The Cheshire Cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
27. “I never get involved in politics.” —The Cheshire Cat in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
28. “Those who say there’s nothing like a nice cup of tea for calming the nerves never had real tea. It’s like a syringe of adrenaline straight to the heart!” —The Cheshire Cat in American McGee’s Alice
Like these smile quotes, these Alice in Wonderland Cheshire Cat quotes are sure to make you grin—and wish the Cheshire Cat was your friend. (You know, minus the sarcastic attitude and disappearing and reappearing act.)Â
Mad Hatter quotes
29. “What is the hatter with me?” —The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
30. “Yes, yes—but you would have to be half-mad to dream me up.” —The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
31. “You’re not the same as you were before. You were much more, muchier. You’ve lost your muchness.” —The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
32. “Why is it you’re always too small or too tall?” —The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
33. “‘Really, now you ask me,’ said Alice, very much confused, ‘I don’t think—’
‘Then you shouldn’t talk,’ said the Hatter.” —The Mad Hatter and Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
34. “‘If you knew Time as well as I do,’ said the Hatter, ‘you wouldn’t talk about wasting it. It’s him.'” —The Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
35. “Have I gone mad?” —The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
36. “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?” —The Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
37. “What a regrettably large head you have. I would very much like to hat it. I used to hat the White Queen, you know. Her head was so small.” —The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
The Hatter is known for saying provocative things that could be perceived as offensive—but that’s also what makes him a fan favorite. While the quotes from the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland don’t necessarily come from the book, these memorable movie quotes are just as punchy.
Alice quotes
38. “Curiouser and curiouser!” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
39. “I do wish I hadn’t drunk quite so much!” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
40. “‘I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning,’ said Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.'” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
41. “When I used to read fairy-tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one! There ought to be a book written about me, that there ought!” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
42. “And what is the use of a book, thought Alice, without pictures or conversations?” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
43. “It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.” —Alice in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
44. “Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle!” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
45. “‘Who cares for you?’ said Alice, (she had grown to her full size by this time). ‘You’re nothing but a pack of cards!'” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Alice is endlessly curious, extremely trusting and a very caring young woman. Just how famous are the Alice in Wonderland Alice quotes? You’ll find both her film and children’s book quotes printed on T-shirts, mugs and wall posters around the world.
Inspirational quotes from Alice in Wonderland
46. “Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.” —The Duchess in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
47. “But that’s just the trouble with me. I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.” —Alice in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
48. “‘I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir,’ said Alice, ‘because I’m not myself, you see.'” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
49. “How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going to be, from one minute to another.” —Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
50. “Oh, ’tis love, ’tis love, that makes the world go round!” —The Duchess in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
While there are many trippy Alice and Wonderland quotes, there are also plenty of inspirational quotes that feel warmhearted and tender. Carroll’s world-building was certainly out of this world—he had a way of taking quirky characters and an outlandish plot, and making it deeply relatable to the human experience.
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Sources:
- Project Gutenberg: “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll”
- Project Gutenberg: “Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll”
Originally Published: November 03, 2023
