Braddock: “Sir, you are drunk.” Churchill: “And you, Bessie, are ugly. But I shall be sober in the morning, and you will still be ugly.” Of course, it’s unlikely this dialogue ever took place. But given Churchill’s wit, it’s fun to think it might have. While it’s possible that Churchill didn’t use his trademark wittiness to put Braddock in her place, he did use it not only to guide the United Kingdom through World War II — but arguably the world as well. Today, 70 years after the end of WWII, his words of wisdom continue to make him one of modern history’s greatest communicators. Here are 20 gems from Churchill’s repertoire that show not only his wit, but also his wisdom: Not only a great orator and wit, Churchill was also an accomplished artist and writer, producing novels, histories, and biographies as well as impressionist landscapes. He published under the name Winston S. Churchill and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. He was also a hobbyist bricklayer and butterfly breeder! To read more of Churchill’s words of wisdom, visit the BBC’s 50 Sir Winston Churchill Quotes to Live By. Featured photo credit: Winston Churchill As Prime Minister 1940-1945 MH26392/Cecil Beaton [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons via commons.wikimedia.org