Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) was a printer, scientist, diplomat and one of the founders of the United States — and, for our purposes, one of the most quotable writers in English. Much of that reputation rests on Poor Richard’s Almanack, which he published annually from 1732 under the persona of Richard Saunders, filling its margins with proverbs that entered American speech so completely that most people no longer know they are quoting anyone. Franklin borrowed and sharpened many older sayings rather than inventing them outright, which he cheerfully admitted; the polish, in most cases, is his.