Rose: Wait a minute. If you didn't sleep with any of the men in these journals, then how come it says "Bed" on the cover?
Blanche: [laughs] Oh, that doesn't say "Bed".
Rose: Right there, it does.
Blanche: Oh, silly, those are my initials. Blanche Elizabeth Devereaux.
Dorothy: Your initials spell "Bed"?

Blanche: Wish me luck.
Dorothy: Wait. Blanche, why should you do it?
Blanche: Because we'll have a better chance. I happen to be a wonderful orator. And two of the commissioners can verify that.
Dorothy: Blanche, "orator" means "speaker".
Blanche: Really? Oh. Well, somebody else do the talking.

Dorothy: Blanche, have you ever met a man you didn't think was giving you the eye?
Blanche: Once, in 1976. But it was only two days later that Mr. President Jimmy Carter announced to the American people that he had secretly lusted in his heart.

Blanche: Well, I certainly didn't wait for my wedding night, honey. I couldn't. I had these urges. You know, in the South, we mature faster. I think it's the heat.
Dorothy: I think it's the gin.
Blanche: Anyhow, my first was Billy. Oh, I remember it so well, just like it was yesterday. That night under the dogwood trees, the air thick with perfume, and me with Billy. Or Bobby. Yeah, Bobby. Yeah, it was Bobby. Or was it Ben? Oh, who knows? Anyway, it started with a "B."

Blanche: Oh, hello there. I don't believe we've been introduced. My name is Blanche Devereaux. That's French for Blanche Devereaux.

Blanche: Hey! Wait a minute. Are you saying this should be me and not you?
Rose: No. No, I'm just saying that I am a good person. Hell, I'm a goody two shoes.
Blanche: AIDS is not a bad person's disease, Rose. It is not God punishing people for their sins.
Rose: You're right, Blanche.

Blanche: Oh, you just look so beautiful. You know, this reminds me of the day I married George. Oh, it was an exquisite wedding. 500 people in that big, old church and I didn't have any underwear on.
Dorothy: Why?
Blanche: I just felt it was the right thing to do.

Blanche: Now, I'm serious. You have got to get rid of that woman. Look, she just bosses us all around, won't let us have any fun, make any noise. She's makin' our lives miserable.
Dorothy: I don't like her any more than you do, but what can I do? Ma's ankles haven't healed yet. And besides, Nurse DeFarge means well.
Blanche: Dorothy, at 2:00 a.m. this morning, I was entertaining a gentleman caller when she opened the door at the most inopportune time. I could have lost my balance and chipped a tooth.

Blanche: Come on. I heard you laughing. What's so funny?
Sophia: For starters, Jean is a lesbian.
Dorothy: Ma.
Blanche: What's funny about that?
Sophia: You aren't surprised?
Blanche: Of course not. I mean, I've never known any personally, but isn't Danny Thomas one?
Dorothy: Not Lebanese, Blanche. Lesbian.
Blanche: Lesbian. Lesbian. Lesbian?! But isn't that where one woman and another...
Dorothy: We already know what it means.

Rose: I should've known this was gonna happen. You should never work with friends. You're fired.
Blanche: You can't fire me. That's against the law. That's sex discrimination.
Rose: Oh. Well, I'll give you one more chance. Wait a minute! How is it sex discrimination?
Blanche: Well, that's what I was doing this afternoon when I didn't get this work done.