Post by CG Wendy on Nov 20, 2007 17:49:39 GMT
These glorious insults are from an era when cleverness with
words was still valued, before a great portion of the English
language got boiled down to 4-letter words.
The exchange between Churchill & Lady
Astor: She said, "If you were my
husband I'd give you poison," and he
said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink
it."
A member of Parliament to
Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on
the gallows or of some unspeakable
disease."
"That depends, Sir," said
Disraeli, "on whether I embrace your
policies or your mistress."
"He had delusions of adequacy." -
Walter Kerr
"He has all the virtues I dislike and
none of the vices I admire." - Winston
Churchill
"A modest little person, with much to
be modest about."
Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have
read many obituaries with great
pleasure."
Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word
that might send a reader to the
dictionary."
William Faulkner (about Ernest
Hemingway).
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think
big emotions come from big words?"
Ernest Hemingway (about William
Faulkner)
"Thank you for sending me a copy of
your book; I'll waste no time reading
it."
Moses Hadas
"He can compress the most words into
the smallest idea of any man I know."
Abraham Lincoln
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I
sent a nice letter saying I approved
of it."
Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely
disliked by his friends"
Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the
first night of my new play; bring a
friend....if you have one."
George Bernard Shaw to Winston
Churchill
"Cannot possibly attend first night,
will attend second... if there is one."
Winston Churchill, in response.
"I feel so miserable without you; it's
almost like having you here."
Stephen Bishop
"He is a self-made man and worships
his creator."
John Bright
"I've just learned about his illness.
Let's hope it's nothing trivial."
Irvin S. Cobb
"He is not only dull himself, he is
the cause of dullness in others."
Samuel Johnson
"He is simply a shiver looking for a
spine to run up."
Paul Keating
"There's nothing wrong with you that
reincarnation won't cure."
Jack E. Leona rd
"They never open their mouths without
subtracting from the sum of human
knowledge."
Thomas Brackett Reed
"Some cause happiness wherever they
go; others, whenever they go."
Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man
uses lamp-posts... for support rather
than illumination."
Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music."
Billy Wilder
"I've had a perfectly wonderful
evening. But this wasn't it."
Groucho
;D
words was still valued, before a great portion of the English
language got boiled down to 4-letter words.
The exchange between Churchill & Lady
Astor: She said, "If you were my
husband I'd give you poison," and he
said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink
it."
A member of Parliament to
Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on
the gallows or of some unspeakable
disease."
"That depends, Sir," said
Disraeli, "on whether I embrace your
policies or your mistress."
"He had delusions of adequacy." -
Walter Kerr
"He has all the virtues I dislike and
none of the vices I admire." - Winston
Churchill
"A modest little person, with much to
be modest about."
Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have
read many obituaries with great
pleasure."
Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word
that might send a reader to the
dictionary."
William Faulkner (about Ernest
Hemingway).
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think
big emotions come from big words?"
Ernest Hemingway (about William
Faulkner)
"Thank you for sending me a copy of
your book; I'll waste no time reading
it."
Moses Hadas
"He can compress the most words into
the smallest idea of any man I know."
Abraham Lincoln
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I
sent a nice letter saying I approved
of it."
Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely
disliked by his friends"
Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the
first night of my new play; bring a
friend....if you have one."
George Bernard Shaw to Winston
Churchill
"Cannot possibly attend first night,
will attend second... if there is one."
Winston Churchill, in response.
"I feel so miserable without you; it's
almost like having you here."
Stephen Bishop
"He is a self-made man and worships
his creator."
John Bright
"I've just learned about his illness.
Let's hope it's nothing trivial."
Irvin S. Cobb
"He is not only dull himself, he is
the cause of dullness in others."
Samuel Johnson
"He is simply a shiver looking for a
spine to run up."
Paul Keating
"There's nothing wrong with you that
reincarnation won't cure."
Jack E. Leona rd
"They never open their mouths without
subtracting from the sum of human
knowledge."
Thomas Brackett Reed
"Some cause happiness wherever they
go; others, whenever they go."
Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man
uses lamp-posts... for support rather
than illumination."
Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music."
Billy Wilder
"I've had a perfectly wonderful
evening. But this wasn't it."
Groucho
;D
