50 Wise and Whimsical Quotes from The Wizard of Oz
Dialogues from a beloved tale illuminate courage, compassion, and the meaning of home.
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The magic of The Wizard of Oz has enchanted audiences for generations, offering adventure, courage, and life lessons told through Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and a colorful cast in the Land of Oz. Whether it’s the timeless 1939 film or L. Frank Baum’s beloved books, these quotes continue to inspire, entertain, and remind us there truly is “no place like home.” Here are 50 unforgettable lines, perfect for sharing or revisiting whenever you need a touch of Oz-inspired wonder.
The Wizard of Oz: A Brief Legacy
The Wizard of Oz is more than a classic film; its story and characters have become cultural icons. Dorothy’s journey down the Yellow Brick Road, accompanied by her loyal dog Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, mirrors a quest for heart, intellect, courage, and belonging. Along the way, they confront challenges, face the Wicked Witch, earn wisdom from Glinda the Good Witch, and discover the power within themselves. The story’s dialogue and songs are filled with wisdom, humor, and a touch of whimsy, making the quotations below as relevant today as they were in 1900 when Baum’s book debuted, and in 1939 with the film’s release.
Unforgettable Wizard of Oz Quotes
- “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?”
— Glinda the Good Witch - “You’ve no power here! Begone, before someone drops a house on you too!”
— Glinda, confronting the Wicked Witch - “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
— Dorothy - “Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!”
— Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow - “There’s no place like home.”
— Dorothy - “Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.”
— Dorothy (song lyric) - “If I only had a brain!”
— The Scarecrow - “If I only had a heart.”
— The Tin Man - “If I only had the nerve.”
— The Cowardly Lion - “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”
— The Wizard of Oz - “You have plenty of courage, I am sure. All you need is confidence in yourself.”
— The Wizard of Oz - “Only bad witches are ugly.”
— Glinda the Good Witch - “Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t they?”
— The Scarecrow - “I think you are wrong to want a heart.”
— The Wizard of Oz - “A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.”
— The Wizard of Oz - “True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid.”
— The Wizard of Oz - “Brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”
— The Tin Man - “Of course, some people do go both ways.”
- “Come along, Dorothy. You don’t want any of those apples! Hmph!”
- “Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t they?”
- “Don’t stand there talking! Put me together! We’ve got to find Dorothy!”
- “The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side. Oh joy! Rapture! I got a brain! How can I ever thank you enough?”
— The Scarecrow - “I hope your tail holds out!”
- “Now I know I’ve got a heart, ’cause it’s breaking.”
— The Tin Man - “Put ’em up! Put ’em up!”
— The Cowardly Lion - “You’re right, I am a coward! I haven’t any courage at all. I even scare myself.”
— The Cowardly Lion - “I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I do!”
- “If we walk far enough, we shall sometime come to someplace.”
— Dorothy - “Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get.”
— The Wizard of Oz - “No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful.”
— Dorothy - “Toto did not really care whether he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him; but he knew the little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too.”
- “You people with hearts have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful.”
— The Tin Man - “The true way to gain much, is never to desire to gain too much.”
- “Everything has to come to an end, sometime.”
- “He is my dog, Toto. Is he made of tin, or stuffed? Neither. He’s a meat dog.”
- “You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”
— Glinda the Good Witch - “Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.”
— The Wizard of Oz - “Weren’t you frightened?” “Frightened? Child, you’re talking to a man who’s laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe… I was petrified.”
- “What makes a king out of a slave? Courage!”
— The Cowardly Lion - “I am convinced that the only people worthy of consideration in this world are the unusual ones. For the common folks are like the leaves of a tree, and live and die unnoticed.”
— The Scarecrow - “Dorothy, you are a remarkably resourceful person.”
- “Home! And this is my room, and you’re all here. And I’m not gonna leave here ever, ever again, because I love you all, and – oh, Auntie Em – there’s no place like home!”
— Dorothy - “I think I’ll miss you most of all.”
— Dorothy, to the Scarecrow - “Time for a little courage, not just for me, but for everyone who’s ever felt afraid.”
- “You can be whoever you want to be.”
— The Wizard of Oz - “With a little bravery, you can be anyone.”
- “Badness makes a person ugly.”
— Glinda the Good Witch - “Sometimes the power to return was within you all along.”
- “Being weird or unusual is a good thing.”
- “Courage! What puts the ‘ape’ in apricot? What have they got that I ain’t got?”
— Zeke and friends - “A baby has brains, but it doesn’t know much. Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge.”
The Characters Behind the Quotes
| Character | Traits | Memorable Quote(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Dorothy Gale | Hopeful, brave, caring | “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” “There’s no place like home.” |
| Scarecrow | Thoughtful, loyal, seeks wisdom | “If I only had a brain!” “Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t they?” |
| Tin Man | Kind, sensitive, longs for a heart | “If I only had a heart.” “Now I know I’ve got a heart, ’cause it’s breaking.” |
| Cowardly Lion | Funny, anxious, yearns for courage | “If I only had the nerve.” “Put ’em up! Put ’em up!” |
| Glinda the Good Witch | Guiding, nurturing | “You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” |
| The Wizard of Oz | Mysterious, well-meaning | “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” |
| Wicked Witch of the West | Villainous, vengeful | “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!” |
Lessons from the Yellow Brick Road
The Wizard of Oz endures not just because of its fantasy, but due to its universal themes and uplifting messages. Here are a few key takeaways reflected in its most famous lines:
- The value of home: Dorothy’s journey reminds us that even when life takes us far from what we know, the comfort and love of home are irreplaceable.
- Brains, heart, and courage: The Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion each seek qualities they already possess, teaching us self-acceptance and the importance of belief in oneself.
- The journey matters: Courage, wisdom, and love are sometimes found through the challenges and friendships formed along the path, not just at the destination.
- See behind the curtain: The Wizard’s deception is eventually revealed, encouraging skepticism of appearances and reminders to look for truth within ourselves.
- Kindness over cruelty: Several lines highlight the importance of empathy, acceptance, and being ‘a good witch’—or simply, a good person.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the most famous line from The Wizard of Oz?
A: “There’s no place like home.” Spoken by Dorothy, it encapsulates the story’s heartfelt message of belonging and comfort.
Q: Which quotes best express the movie’s central themes?
A: Quotes like “If I only had a brain,” “If I only had a heart,” and “If I only had the nerve” each reflect the importance of self-knowledge, love, and courage.
Q: Who says ‘Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain’?
A: The Wizard of Oz says this iconic line as Dorothy and her friends discover his secret.
Q: Is ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ a quote from the book or movie?
A: The famous line “Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue…” is from the song in the 1939 movie, not the original book.
Q: Are the movie’s quotes different from the book’s?
A: While many quotes originate from Baum’s book, some—especially song lyrics and iconic phrases—were created for the film.
Why These Quotes Still Resonate
The world of Oz remains beloved due to its ability to speak to audiences of all ages. Whether you identify with Dorothy’s longing, the Scarecrow’s search for wisdom, the Tin Man’s compassion, or the Lion’s need for courage, The Wizard of Oz offers encouragement and humor. As Dorothy discovers, often “the power to return was within you all along.” So whether you’re following your own yellow brick road or simply seeking a smile, return to these quotes anytime for inspiration and joy.
References
- https://www.imagineforest.com/blog/wonderful-quotes-from-the-wizard-of-oz/
- https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1993810-the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz
- https://parade.com/1280055/kaigreen/wizard-of-oz-quotes/
- https://www.infoplease.com/culture-entertainment/journalism-literature/wizard-of-oz-book-quotes
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/quotes/
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