12 Hippo Quotes About The Humongous River Horse

With their imposing size, hippopotamuses are a powerful force in nature, garnering a spot in the top ten heaviest terrestrial animals of the world. Beyond their physical might, these creatures have also inspired many hippo quotes that offer wisdom, metaphorical insights, and unexpected humor. So, browse this post now to explore the depth and wit of these sayings.

Quick links to our selection of hippo quotes:

Hippo Quotes About The Semiaquatic Mammal

With barrel-shaped forms, large jaws, and squat legs, hippos are immediately recognizable. Interestingly, unbeknownst to most people, cetaceans, including whales and dolphins, share an ancestral link with these semi-aquatic giants. Hippos thrive in sub-Saharan Africa's rivers and lakes, where they tear grass, fruits, and occasionally meat. 

Before reading the quotes, make sure to save our article on hippopotamus facts for an in-depth knowledge of these creatures.

"Molecular genetics can show off some surprising relationships like, for example, the close relationship of whales to hippopotamuses, which I think nobody ever guessed until molecular data was looked at. The closest relatives of whales are hippopotamuses, even closer than any other cloven-hoofed animals."
- Richard Dawkins

"I like snakes. I like hummingbirds. There's nothing on earth I don't like. Frogs. Salamanders. The bunnies, the giraffes, the hippopotamuses."
- Ted Turner

Noteworthy Hippo Quotes From Literature

Hippopotamuses also emerge in literature, whether as a character or a symbol. In Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland," the White Queen mentions Humpty Dumpty's absurd hippo hunt, reflecting whimsy. 

On the other hand, the writings of T.S. Eliot compared the creature's nocturnal lifestyle to the Church's unfailing, perpetual spiritual sustenance. Read these quotes below and decode the hippopotamus imagery on the last one.

"He said he would come in,' the White Queen went on, `because he was looking for a hippopotamus. Now, as it happened, there wasn't such a thing in the house, that morning.' Is there generally?' Alice asked in an astonished tone. Well, only on Thursdays,' said the Queen."
- Lewis Carroll

"The hippopotamus's day Is passed in sleep; at night he hunts; God works in a mysterious way- The Church can sleep and feed at once."
- T. S. Eliot

"A man is born an artist as a hippopotamus is born a hippopotamus; and you can no more make yourself one than you can make yourself a giraffe."
- John Ruskin

Metaphorical Hippo Quotes To Think About

Outside literature, hippos are also metaphorically used to symbolize various concepts. Take, for instance, Carl Sandburg's wise words, which contrast the soar of an eagle to a hippo's contentment in the mud. This suggests an inner struggle between lofty aspirations and the comfort of familiar grounds. 

Similarly, other metaphors use the large size of the hippopotamus to illustrate obstacles, from oppressive business deals to the nature of unforeseen events, or to highlight that size doesn't equate to worth or capability. Check out each quote below to see these figures of speech in play.

"There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud."
- Carl Sandburg

"When a business accepts help from the government, it can be like going to bed with a hippopotamus. It's nice and warm for the moment, but then your bedmate rolls over and crushes you."
- Donald Rumsfeld

"Frankly, I couldn't be more astonished that this guy was involved in something like this than if you came riding through my apartment on a hippopotamus."
- Dan Rather

"There is no need to worry about mere size. We do not necessarily respect a fat man more than a thin man. Sir Isaac Newton was very much smaller than a hippopotamus, but we do not on that account value him less."
- Bertrand Russell

Funny Hippo Quotes To Make You Chuckle

Like other animals, hippos also make us chuckle when wit is mixed. In the following quotes, jokes twist their names for laughs or use them as threats. Poems jest about their tough skin, suggesting playful, over-the-top remedies. 

If you have these creatures in your country, share these funny quotes with your friends while looking at the hippopotamus.

"Is a hippopotamus a hippopotamus or just a really cool opotamus?"
- Mitch Hedberg

"I found in one of the tombs an inscription saying, ‘If you touch my tomb, you will be eaten by a crocodile and hippopotamus.’ It doesn’t mean the hippo will eat you; it means the person wanted his tomb to be protected."
- Zahi Hawass

"I shoot the Hippopotamus with bullets made of platinum, because if I use the leaden one his hide is sure to flatten em."
- Hilaire Belloc