only a few seconds, but it grossed out Kollmann—and thoroughly entertained the many male cops who were present at the scene.
Never Trust a Pretty FaceAMANDA LEAR, title of 1979 album
Never Be Lied To Again:
How to Get the Truth in 5 Minutes or Less
in Any Conversation or SituationDAVID J. LIEBERMAN, title of 1999 book
And Never Stop Dancing:
Thirty More True Things You Need to Know NowGORDON LIVINGSTON, title of 2006 book
This was a sequel to Dr. Livingston’s 2004 bestseller Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart. In the sequel, he also advised: “Never mind dying with dignity; try living with dignity.”
Never Blink in a Hailstorm and Other Lessons on LeadershipDAVID L. MCKENNA, title of 2005 book
Never Sniff a Gift FishPATRICK F. MCMANUS, title of 1983 book
The title emerged when McManus and some friends were musing on the paucity of great hunting and fishing quotations. It’s similar to Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
Never Ask a Man the Size of His Spread:
A Cowgirl’s Guide to LifeGLADIOLA MONTANA, title of 1993 book
This illustrated gift book, published around the time “cowboy wisdom” books were enjoying great popularity, contained these additional cowgirl rules:
Never venture onto thin ice with a fancy skater.
Never—under any circumstances—admit that you like to cook.
Never let yourself be drawn into a game
where you do not know the rules—ALL the rules.
Never Check E-Mail in the Morning:
And Other Unexpected Strategies for Making Your Work Life WorkJULIE MORGENSTERN, title of 2005 book
For almost twenty years, the first thing I’ve done every morning is check my e-mail, so I was tantalized by the title of Morgenstern’s book. When she recommended that people “break the e-mail habit” by spending the first hour of each day on high-level strategic thinking and other high-priority tasks, I clearly understood her reasoning. And I agree that it is a wonderful idea. But I still check my e-mail the first thing every morning.
Never Let a Skinny Guy Make SandwichesGENE MUELLER & BOB DENYER, title of 1993 book
Never Bite When a Growl Will DoMICHAEL NASTASI, title of 2006 book
Never Shower in a Thunderstorm:
Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths
About Our Health and the World We Live InANAHAD O’CONNOR, title of 2007 book
Never Trust a Calm Dog: And Other Rules of ThumbTOM PARKER, title of 1991 book
Never Look BackRIDLEY PEARSON, title of 1985 book
Over the years, nearly fifty books have been given the title Never Look Back. In Ridley’s novel—his first book—the saying was described as “The Cardinal Rule of Espionage.”
“Never Try to Trick Me with a Kiss”SYLVIA PLATH, title of 1946 poem
Never Love a StrangerHAROLD ROBBINS, title of 1948 book
Harold Robbins became a teenage millionaire during the Great Depression by buying food directly from struggling farmers and selling it to wholesalers and food canning companies. He then squandered it all after speculating wildly on sugar futures. In his early twenties, he moved to California, got a job as a shipping clerk at Universal Pictures, and ultimately worked his way up to a job in the bookkeeping department. One day, after a Universal VP overheard Robbins make a disparaging remark about a novel that had been made into a film, the studio exec said, “If you can write a better novel, do it.” Robbins took the challenge by writing Never Love a Stranger, a sexually graphic tale about New York City’s underworld that was considered shocking at the time (ads for the novel proudly proclaimed, “Banned in Philadelphia”). Over the next twenty-five years, Robbins became wildly successful, writing more than twenty novels that sold more that 250 million copies. While The Carpetbaggers (1961) was his best-known book, Robbins often said that Never Love a Stranger was his favorite. The book was adapted into a 1958 film by the same title.
Never Trust a Sister over TwelveSTEPHEN ROOS, title of 1993 book aimed at fourth-graders
Never Throw Stones at Your Mother: Irish Insults and CursesDAVID ROSS, title of 2001 book
Never Be a Victim:
The Practice of Psychological Self-DefenseEDWARD N. ROSS, title of 1996 book
Never Throw Out a Banana Again:
And 364 Other Ways to Save Money at Home Without Knocking Yourself OutDARCIE SANDERS, title of 1995 book
Never Let ’em See You Sweat: A Tranquilizer for PresentersPHIL SLOTT, title of 2000 book
Sixteen years after Slott created “Never let ’em see you sweat” for Gillette’s Dry Idea advertising campaign (discussed in the classic neverisms chapter), he chose the legendary slogan for the title of a book on public speaking. He began every one of the book’s twenty chapters with the word never. Here are ten of them:Never Trust One Rehearsal Never Drown in a Sea of Faces Never Forget Your Crutches Never Believe They’re Out to Get You Never Let Their Agenda Be Your AgendaNever Be PointlessNever Be IgnorableNever Be Too SeriousNever Get Caught
