Joel Cairo: You always have a very smooth explanation ready. Sam Spade: What do you want me to do, learn to stutter?

I've been as bad an influence on American literature as anyone I can think of.

Listen, Dundy, it's been a long time since I burst into tears because a policeman didn't like me.

I haven't laughed so much over anything since the hogs ate my kid brother.

Yes,' Spade growled. 'And when you're slapped you'll take it and like it.' He released Cairo's wrist and with a thick open hand struck the side of his face three times savagely.

It's awfully easy to be in love in jail

What I try to do is write a story about a detective rather than a detective story. Keeping the reader fooled until the last, possible moment is a good trick and I usually try to play it, but I can't attach more than secondary importance to it. The puzzle isn't so interesting to me as the behavior of the detective attacking it.