Who said “There is no arguing with Johnson: for if his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with…”?

Verified

Oliver Goldsmith. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceFrom James Boswell's Life of Johnson (1791), October 26, 1769.

Find From James Boswell's Life of Johnson on Amazon · paid link

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

Authors A–Z
“There is no arguing with Johnson: for if his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it.”
— Oliver Goldsmith
VerifiedFrom James Boswell's Life of Johnson (1791), October 26, 1769. · evidenceArgument
Report

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: From James Boswell's Life of Johnson (1791), October 26, 1769..

APA

Goldsmith, O. (n.d.). There is no arguing with Johnson: for if his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7028-there-is-no-arguing-with-johnson-for-if/

MLA

Goldsmith, Oliver. “There is no arguing with Johnson: for if his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7028-there-is-no-arguing-with-johnson-for-if/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Goldsmith, Oliver. “There is no arguing with Johnson: for if his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7028-there-is-no-arguing-with-johnson-for-if/.

Related quotes

More quotes by Oliver Goldsmith

All 82 Oliver Goldsmith quotes →