The Phantom Tollbooth Quotes
@phantomtollbot.bsky.social
Words and numbers are of equal value, for, in the cloak of knowledge, one is warp and the other woof. It is no more important to count the sands than it is to name the stars.
—
To read all its wit and wisdom, get a copy from a local bookstore or library.
—
To read all its wit and wisdom, get a copy from a local bookstore or library.
“But we never choose which ones to use,” explained the earl as they walked toward the market stalls, “for as long as they mean what they mean to mean we don’t care if they make sense or nonsense.”
“Innocence or magnificence,” added the count.
“Reticence or common sense,” said the undersecretary.
“Innocence or magnificence,” added the count.
“Reticence or common sense,” said the undersecretary.
December 30, 2025 at 2:02 PM
“But we never choose which ones to use,” explained the earl as they walked toward the market stalls, “for as long as they mean what they mean to mean we don’t care if they make sense or nonsense.”
“Innocence or magnificence,” added the count.
“Reticence or common sense,” said the undersecretary.
“Innocence or magnificence,” added the count.
“Reticence or common sense,” said the undersecretary.
“Our job,” said the count, “is to see that all the words sold are proper ones, for it wouldn’t do to sell someone a word that had no meaning or didn’t exist at all. For instance, if you bought a word like ghlbtsk, where would you use it?”
December 29, 2025 at 11:00 PM
“Our job,” said the count, “is to see that all the words sold are proper ones, for it wouldn’t do to sell someone a word that had no meaning or didn’t exist at all. For instance, if you bought a word like ghlbtsk, where would you use it?”
“You see,” continued the minister, bowing thankfully to the duke, “Dictionopolis is the place where all the words in the world come from. They’re grown right here in our orchards.”
“I didn’t know that words grew on trees,” said Milo timidly.
“I didn’t know that words grew on trees,” said Milo timidly.
December 29, 2025 at 8:02 PM
“You see,” continued the minister, bowing thankfully to the duke, “Dictionopolis is the place where all the words in the world come from. They’re grown right here in our orchards.”
“I didn’t know that words grew on trees,” said Milo timidly.
“I didn’t know that words grew on trees,” said Milo timidly.
“Obviously you don’t know who we are,” sneered the fifth. And they presented themselves one by one as:
“The Duke of Definition.”
“The Minister of Meaning.”
“The Earl of Essence.”
“The Count of Connotation.”
“The Undersecretary of Understanding.”
“The Duke of Definition.”
“The Minister of Meaning.”
“The Earl of Essence.”
“The Count of Connotation.”
“The Undersecretary of Understanding.”
December 29, 2025 at 5:03 PM
“Obviously you don’t know who we are,” sneered the fifth. And they presented themselves one by one as:
“The Duke of Definition.”
“The Minister of Meaning.”
“The Earl of Essence.”
“The Count of Connotation.”
“The Undersecretary of Understanding.”
“The Duke of Definition.”
“The Minister of Meaning.”
“The Earl of Essence.”
“The Count of Connotation.”
“The Undersecretary of Understanding.”
Reposted by The Phantom Tollbooth Quotes
Literally opened every chapter of my PhD thesis with a Phantom Tollbooth quote. 2/2
December 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Literally opened every chapter of my PhD thesis with a Phantom Tollbooth quote. 2/2
Reposted by The Phantom Tollbooth Quotes
Literally opened every chapter of my PhD thesis with a Phantom Tollbooth quote. 1/2
December 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Literally opened every chapter of my PhD thesis with a Phantom Tollbooth quote. 1/2
Reposted by The Phantom Tollbooth Quotes
This book was my origin story.
December 29, 2025 at 10:48 AM
This book was my origin story.
“Besides,” explained the second, “one word is as good as another—so why not use them all?”
“Then you don’t have to choose which one is right,” advised the third.
“Besides,” sighed the fourth, “if one is right, then ten are ten times as right.”
“Then you don’t have to choose which one is right,” advised the third.
“Besides,” sighed the fourth, “if one is right, then ten are ten times as right.”
December 29, 2025 at 2:02 PM
“Besides,” explained the second, “one word is as good as another—so why not use them all?”
“Then you don’t have to choose which one is right,” advised the third.
“Besides,” sighed the fourth, “if one is right, then ten are ten times as right.”
“Then you don’t have to choose which one is right,” advised the third.
“Besides,” sighed the fourth, “if one is right, then ten are ten times as right.”
Five very tall, thin gentlemen regally dressed in silks and satins, plumed hats, and buckled shoes rushed up to the car, stopped short, mopped five brows, caught five breaths, unrolled five parchments, and began talking in turn.
“Greetings!”
“Salutations!”
“Welcome!”
“Good afternoon!”
“Hello!”
“Greetings!”
“Salutations!”
“Welcome!”
“Good afternoon!”
“Hello!”
December 28, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Five very tall, thin gentlemen regally dressed in silks and satins, plumed hats, and buckled shoes rushed up to the car, stopped short, mopped five brows, caught five breaths, unrolled five parchments, and began talking in turn.
“Greetings!”
“Salutations!”
“Welcome!”
“Good afternoon!”
“Hello!”
“Greetings!”
“Salutations!”
“Welcome!”
“Good afternoon!”
“Hello!”
Reposted by The Phantom Tollbooth Quotes
My origin story
yes, it's a children's fantasy novel ultimately, but it taught me one thing very early on, which has stood me in good stead ever since - things are not always as they first appear
yes, it's a children's fantasy novel ultimately, but it taught me one thing very early on, which has stood me in good stead ever since - things are not always as they first appear
December 28, 2025 at 3:58 PM
My origin story
yes, it's a children's fantasy novel ultimately, but it taught me one thing very early on, which has stood me in good stead ever since - things are not always as they first appear
yes, it's a children's fantasy novel ultimately, but it taught me one thing very early on, which has stood me in good stead ever since - things are not always as they first appear
“No…no…no…this won’t do…no…h-m-m-m…ah, this is fine,” he cried triumphantly, holding up a small medallion on a chain. He dusted it off, and engraved on one side were the words “WHY NOT?”
“That’s a good reason for almost anything—a bit used perhaps, but still quite serviceable.”
“That’s a good reason for almost anything—a bit used perhaps, but still quite serviceable.”
December 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
“No…no…no…this won’t do…no…h-m-m-m…ah, this is fine,” he cried triumphantly, holding up a small medallion on a chain. He dusted it off, and engraved on one side were the words “WHY NOT?”
“That’s a good reason for almost anything—a bit used perhaps, but still quite serviceable.”
“That’s a good reason for almost anything—a bit used perhaps, but still quite serviceable.”
“A-H-H-H-R-R-E-M-M,” roared the gateman, clearing his throat and snapping smartly to attention. “This is Dictionopolis, a happy kingdom, advantageously located in the Foothills of Confusion and caressed by gentle breezes from the Sea of Knowledge.”
December 28, 2025 at 5:01 PM
“A-H-H-H-R-R-E-M-M,” roared the gateman, clearing his throat and snapping smartly to attention. “This is Dictionopolis, a happy kingdom, advantageously located in the Foothills of Confusion and caressed by gentle breezes from the Sea of Knowledge.”
Reposted by The Phantom Tollbooth Quotes
Oh I REALLY need to re-read this. Fantastic teacher read it to us when I was 8 or 9 and it's stayed with me.
Before long they saw in the distance the towers and flags of Dictionopolis sparkling in the sunshine, and in a few moments they reached the great wall and stood at the gateway to the city.
December 28, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Oh I REALLY need to re-read this. Fantastic teacher read it to us when I was 8 or 9 and it's stayed with me.
Before long they saw in the distance the towers and flags of Dictionopolis sparkling in the sunshine, and in a few moments they reached the great wall and stood at the gateway to the city.
December 28, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Before long they saw in the distance the towers and flags of Dictionopolis sparkling in the sunshine, and in a few moments they reached the great wall and stood at the gateway to the city.
“‘If there’s so much of it, it couldn’t be very valuable,’ was the general opinion, and it soon fell into disrepute. People wasted it and even gave it away. Then we were given the job of seeing that no one wasted time again,” he said, sitting up proudly.
December 27, 2025 at 11:01 PM
“‘If there’s so much of it, it couldn’t be very valuable,’ was the general opinion, and it soon fell into disrepute. People wasted it and even gave it away. Then we were given the job of seeing that no one wasted time again,” he said, sitting up proudly.
“You see, once there was no time at all, and people found it very inconvenient. They never knew whether they were eating lunch or dinner, and they were always missing trains. So time was invented to help them keep track of the day and get places when they should.”
December 27, 2025 at 8:01 PM
“You see, once there was no time at all, and people found it very inconvenient. They never knew whether they were eating lunch or dinner, and they were always missing trains. So time was invented to help them keep track of the day and get places when they should.”
“My parents were so overwrought that they gave up having any more children and devoted their lives to doing good work among the poor and hungry.”
December 27, 2025 at 5:02 PM
“My parents were so overwrought that they gave up having any more children and devoted their lives to doing good work among the poor and hungry.”
“I’m very pleased—I’m sure we’ll be great friends for the rest of the trip. You may call me Tock.”
“That is a strange name for a dog who goes tickticktickticktick all day,” said Milo. “Why didn’t they call you——”
“Don’t say it,” gasped the dog, and Milo could see a tear well up in his eye.
“That is a strange name for a dog who goes tickticktickticktick all day,” said Milo. “Why didn’t they call you——”
“Don’t say it,” gasped the dog, and Milo could see a tear well up in his eye.
December 27, 2025 at 2:01 PM
“I’m very pleased—I’m sure we’ll be great friends for the rest of the trip. You may call me Tock.”
“That is a strange name for a dog who goes tickticktickticktick all day,” said Milo. “Why didn’t they call you——”
“Don’t say it,” gasped the dog, and Milo could see a tear well up in his eye.
“That is a strange name for a dog who goes tickticktickticktick all day,” said Milo. “Why didn’t they call you——”
“Don’t say it,” gasped the dog, and Milo could see a tear well up in his eye.
As they raced along the road Milo continued to think of all sorts of things; of the many detours and wrong turns that were so easy to take, of how fine it was to be moving along, and, most of all, of how much could be accomplished with just a little thought.
December 26, 2025 at 11:00 PM
As they raced along the road Milo continued to think of all sorts of things; of the many detours and wrong turns that were so easy to take, of how fine it was to be moving along, and, most of all, of how much could be accomplished with just a little thought.
He thought of birds that swim and fish that fly. He thought of yesterday’s lunch and tomorrow’s dinner. He thought of words that began with J and numbers that end in 3. And, as he thought, the wheels began to turn.
December 26, 2025 at 8:00 PM
He thought of birds that swim and fish that fly. He thought of yesterday’s lunch and tomorrow’s dinner. He thought of words that began with J and numbers that end in 3. And, as he thought, the wheels began to turn.
Milo began to think as hard as he could (which was very difficult, since he wasn’t used to it).
December 26, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Milo began to think as hard as he could (which was very difficult, since he wasn’t used to it).
“Well,” continued the watchdog impatiently, “since you got here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking.” And with that he hopped into the car.
December 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
“Well,” continued the watchdog impatiently, “since you got here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking.” And with that he hopped into the car.
“Help you! You must help yourself,” the dog replied, carefully winding himself with his left hind leg. “I suppose you know why you got stuck.”
“I guess I just wasn’t thinking,” said Milo.
“PRECISELY,” shouted the dog as his alarm went off again. “Now you know what you must do.”
“I guess I just wasn’t thinking,” said Milo.
“PRECISELY,” shouted the dog as his alarm went off again. “Now you know what you must do.”
December 25, 2025 at 11:00 PM
“Help you! You must help yourself,” the dog replied, carefully winding himself with his left hind leg. “I suppose you know why you got stuck.”
“I guess I just wasn’t thinking,” said Milo.
“PRECISELY,” shouted the dog as his alarm went off again. “Now you know what you must do.”
“I guess I just wasn’t thinking,” said Milo.
“PRECISELY,” shouted the dog as his alarm went off again. “Now you know what you must do.”
“What are you doing here?” growled the watchdog.
“Just killing time,” replied Milo apologetically. “You see——”
“KILLING TIME!” roared the dog—so furiously that his alarm went off. “It’s bad enough wasting time without killing it.” And he shuddered at the thought.
“Just killing time,” replied Milo apologetically. “You see——”
“KILLING TIME!” roared the dog—so furiously that his alarm went off. “It’s bad enough wasting time without killing it.” And he shuddered at the thought.
December 25, 2025 at 8:01 PM
“What are you doing here?” growled the watchdog.
“Just killing time,” replied Milo apologetically. “You see——”
“KILLING TIME!” roared the dog—so furiously that his alarm went off. “It’s bad enough wasting time without killing it.” And he shuddered at the thought.
“Just killing time,” replied Milo apologetically. “You see——”
“KILLING TIME!” roared the dog—so furiously that his alarm went off. “It’s bad enough wasting time without killing it.” And he shuddered at the thought.
Milo’s eyes opened wide, for there in front of him was a large dog with a perfectly normal head, four feet, and a tail—and the body of a loudly ticking alarm clock.
December 25, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Milo’s eyes opened wide, for there in front of him was a large dog with a perfectly normal head, four feet, and a tail—and the body of a loudly ticking alarm clock.