Last Updated on September 11, 2025 by Matt Staff
Don Rickles wasn’t just the king of the razor-sharp comeback; he was a craftsman, a workhorse, and, yes, “Mr. Warmth”. These hand-picked Don RIckles quotes show the cominc behind the barbs: the blue-collar grind of show business, the humility under the swagger, and the way he turned attitude into art.
1. “Show business is my life. When I was a kid, I sold insurance, but nobody laughed.”
2. “Some people say funny things, but I say things funny.”
3. “An insult comic is the title I was given. What I do is exaggeration.”
4. “You can’t study comedy; it’s within you. It’s a personality. My humor is an attitude.”
5. “I think if I took therapy, the doctor would quit. He’d just pick up the couch and walk out of the room.”
6. “When you enter a room, you have to kiss his ring. I don’t mind, but he has it in his back pocket.”
7. “Smartphones. Who cares?… I only have dummy phones.”
8. “Room service is great if you want to pay $500 for a club sandwich.”
9. “Every night when I go out on stage… I’m always afraid there’s one person in the audience that I’m not going to offend!”
10. “Whatever you do to gain succes, you have to hang in there and hope good things happen. Always think positive.”
11. “When you stand alone and sell yourself, you can’t please everyone. But when you’re different, you can last.”
12. “You throw your best punch; otherwise, don’t do it.”
13. “If I were to insult people and mean it, that wouldn’t be funny.”
14. “It’s very sweet to have people say nice things about you, and I always accept that.”
15. “Famous people are deceptive. Deep down, they’re just regular people.”
16. “I think they liked my honesty. My being who I am; that is that.”
17. “I don’t care if the average guy on the street really knows what I’m like… My friends and family know. That’s what’s important.”
18. “You’ve got to have a lot of courage… whatever you’re doing, believe in it wholeheartedly.”
19. “You know what’s funny to me? Attitude.”
20. “Compared to what comics say today, I’m a monk.”
21. “There’s a difference between an actual insult and a friendly jab.”
22. “Most people think the character I do onstage is the way I am offstage, but I’m just a regular guy who spends time with his family.”
23. “The old days were the old days. And they were great days. But now is now.”
24. “I used to play golf… I realized I’d always stink. And that’s when I really started to enjoy the game.”
25. “I’m not a big one for jokes… If you gave me a thousand bucks and said, ‘Don, tell a joke,’ I’m the worst.”
Explore more celebrities’ content:
Strip away the sting and you get the heart: work ethic, timing, and a grin that knew the joke was on all of us. If this collection of Don Rickles quotes warmed you up, keep the good vibes rolling with these 20 Robin Williams Quotes That Reveal the Man Behind the Laughter, or these 25 Ozzy Osborne Quotes To Remember Him By.