“You're never safe from surprise until you're dead” says Rachel Lynde, one of Anne of Green Gables and Road To Avonlea’s most memorable characters.
L.M. Montgomery described the indomitable Mrs. Rachel Lynde as, “one of those capable creatures who can manage their own concerns and those of other folks into the bargain.” And this is abundantly true through every appearance she makes in all the Anne of Green Gables films and each season of Road To Avonlea.
Here are our picks for the 10 best Rachel Lynde quotes.
“Mark my words, Marilla. That’s the kind puts strychnine in the well.”-Anne of Green Gables
Who could ever forget the very first time Anne met Rachel Lynde? Never one to keep her opinion to herself. she let Marilla know exactly how she felt after Anne yelled at her for commenting on her looks.
“Cordial my foot! The girl smells like Jake Griffith’s distillery!”-Anne of Green Gables
Diana getting drunk on what she and Anne think is Raspberry Cordial is hilarious for us to watch, but not so funny for Anne and Diana themselves. But when Rachel Lynde pipes in with this line, she definitely doesn't help the sitaution, even if her pronouncement is one of the most memorable parts of the scene.
“I'd rather live at the bottom of a well than leave Avonlea.”-Anne of Avonlea
If Rachel had left Avonlea after her husband passed away, she probably would have found a way to return within a matter of months! Some people just belong where they are.
"The way girls roam the earth now is something terrible.It reminds me of Satan in the Book of Job going to and fro and walking up and down. I don't think the Lord ever intended it...”-Anne of Avonlea
Rachel Lynde will always giver her opinion on any situation, solicited or not. Her doubts about Anne leaving Avonlea to teach had Marilla rolling her eyes in exasperation. But underneath her judgement that Anne was headed for a bad situation, we know there was genuine concern for her.
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"Don't you be buying any junk from those peddlers just to satisfy your conscience. (Under her breath) Oh it's an ill wind that blows no good.” – Anne of Avonlea
How many of us have added 'its an ill wind that blows no good" to our regular vernacular after hearing Rachel mutter it herself with narrowed eyes as Marilla rushes off to meet Anne on the road? Her reaction makes us wonder how many times Marilla has purchased a little something from a passing peddler while Rachel looks on in displeasure.
“There is nothing worse than the convalescing Male.”-Road to Avonlea
Quarantine At Alexander Abraham's is definitely a memorable episode of Road To Avonlea and Rachel's dislike for Alexander Abraham is so amusing! From the way that she exclaims the above quote, we can tell that this is not the first time Rachel has had this thought.
“When your heart skips a beat, it isn’t love, its indigestion.”-Road to Avonlea
This is by far one of the most memorable Rachel Lynde quotes. She is a woman who has no patience for flights of fancy and she is quick to give her two cents, interjecting a bit of reality into the situation.
"Plain pine caskets are a disgrace, that's what. A body would get slivers just laying in it. If you ask my opinion, it's a shameful way to meet your maker." -Road to Avonlea
A shameful way to meet your maker indeed! Even at a funeral Rachel will let her opinion be known. You can bet that she has made provisions so that no one even has time to consider a plain pine casket when her time comes.
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“We’ve got more spinsters here than a cat’s got whiskers!”-Road to Avonlea
The Calamitous Courting of Hetty King is an episode of Road To Avonlea that is already rife with hilarity, but Rachel Lynde comparing the amount of Spinsters in Avonlea to a cat's whiskers is the cherry on top. She definitely adds colour to every interaction she has.
“You wouldn’t catch me in red. Red shouldn’t appear on anything but the devil, that’s what.”-Road To Avonlea
We're pretty sure that this comparison has been made by a few grandmothers and great aunts as well. We can just see the younger women of Avonlea rolling their eyes.
Rachel may be opinionated and some would say she is busybody, but she sure is witty and that’s something we truly appreciate about her.
Watch the video below for a behind the scenes interview with “Rachel Lynde” as played by Patricia Hamilton, on the set of Road To Avonlea.
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