A QUOTER OF NINE
One must never miss an opportunity of quoting things by others which are always more interesting than those one thinks up oneself. –Marcel Proust
The idea for this post was born of the mating of the above quote (which came from a book I’m reading about Marcel Proust) with a play on words from the title of this old song:
The next step was to come up with nine quotes based on the above premise. Almost by default, I chose quotes about quotes. I hope the result isn’t born stillborn — if so, de fault is yours (or mine, if you want to be petty about it). Let’s begin and see how it works out:
Those who never quote, in return are never quoted. –Isaac D’Israeli
Pretty things that are well said — it’s nice to have them in your head. –Robert Frost
I have made it a rule that whenever I say something stupid, I immediately attribute it to Dr. Johnson, Marcus Aurelius or Dorothy Parker. –George Mikes
Asked to describe his most recent play, a playwright (who Dorothy Parker felt had been copying her) said, “It’s hard to say — except that it’s a play against all isms.” She replied, “Except plagiarism.”
I always have a quotation for everything — it saves original thinking. –Dorothy L. Sayers
To be amused at what you read — that is the great spring of quotation. –Charles Edward Montague
While reading writers of great formulatory power — Henry James, Santayana, Proust — I find I can scarcely get through a page without having to stop to record some lapidary sentence. Reading Henry James, for example, I have muttered to myself, “C’mon, Henry, turn down the brilliance a notch, so I can get some reading done.” –Joseph Epstein
If you want to be quoted, say something you shouldn’t say. –Evan Esar
I really didn’t say everything I said. –Yogi Berra
So that makes me a quoter of nine, unless one counts the opening Marcel Proust quote, which doesn’t count as ten unless you’re keeping count, in which case, count it instead as a bonus which would only count if you don’t count Yogi, who said he didn’t say what he said if he didn’t say it (but don’t quote me on that).
K. A. Bryce 12:07 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
Very nice, though I was disappointed you didn’t have something by Wilde. Nothing comes to mind offhand and my own book of quotes is in no way organized, but I would have guessed he’d be one of your first. I’m sure he said something scathing about quotes, or at least one would hope so. Smiles>KB
LikeLiked by 2 people
mistermuse 1:08 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
I own a book titled THE WIT AND HUMOR OF OSCAR WILDE which contains many Wilde quotes, but nothing “scathing about quotes.” However, Paul Sunstone came up with a Wilde quotation quote in his comment which follows….and then there’s this from my book, which isn’t too far off course: “I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time and prevents arguments.”
LikeLiked by 4 people
K. A. Bryce 2:31 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink
Smiles*
LikeLiked by 2 people
Paul Sunstone 12:14 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” — Oscar Wilde
LikeLiked by 6 people
mistermuse 1:10 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
Thanks, Paul (and no doubt K.A.Bryce thanks you, as well).
LikeLiked by 1 person
SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 5:38 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
Hi Mistermuse and Paul Sunstone,
I am glad to see plenty of fine quotes here, several of which are also featured in my very detailed and long post at http://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2017/10/18/the-quotation-fallacy/
Happy September to you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
mistermuse 8:18 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink
A very detailed and long post indeed, SoundEagle, but very much worth taking time to read and ‘take advantage’ of all the research you obviously put into it….not to mention how well you put it all together (and you can quote me on that). 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 5:59 pm on September 5, 2018 Permalink
Thank you, Mistermuse, for your feedback as well as compliment. I would really appreciate it if you could kindly copy and paste your previous comment to the comment section of my said post at http://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2017/10/18/the-quotation-fallacy/, given that your comment is highly relevant. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
mistermuse 7:20 pm on September 5, 2018 Permalink
SoundEagle, as one of those technologically obtuse old geezers you hear about, I know how to copy Google clips, but what you ask sounds a bit more complicated. I’d probably have to ask my wife how to navigate your request, so you have my permission to do it yourself if you can handle it from your end. If not, let me know and I’ll ask her (though it may cost me a box of chocolates in return). 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 7:40 pm on September 5, 2018 Permalink
What I meant earlier is that since you read the said post entitled “The Quotation Fallacy”, it is a matter of going to its comment section and leave a comment there. To save you retyping your earlier comment comprising your feedback as well as compliment, you can just copy and paste your earlier comment there. Otherwise, you can just retype the same comment there, or if you prefer, you can leave a similar or a longer comment there at the said post.
LikeLike
mistermuse 9:40 pm on September 5, 2018 Permalink
Done by retyping….thereby saving myself the cost of a box of chocolates.
LikeLiked by 1 person
SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 6:14 pm on September 7, 2018 Permalink
Thank you for retyping, Mistermuse. Perhaps only until the next Valentine’s Day can you continue to avoid the cost of a box of chocolate. To get you in the mood for such expenditure as well as for tugging at the romantic heartstrings of your other significant half, here’s a very special post at https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/soundeagle-in-love-and-dove-art-and-heart-on-valentines-day-with-gifts/
May you and your family have a lovely weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
mistermuse 10:20 pm on September 7, 2018 Permalink
I messed up the re-typed version a bit, but not enough to matter, I think. As for your “very special post” link, I made a comment on it and thank you for the reference to it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 10:35 pm on September 7, 2018 Permalink
Hi Mistermuse,
Thank you very much for your comment left on my post about St Valentine’s Day. I am delighted that you enjoyed the many choices of “Love Letters” there.
I would like to inform you that you are welcome to listen to my musical compositions, a small fraction of which can be found at http://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/soundeagle-in-soundcloud-art-music-and-compositions-about-new-sensations-love-life-country-nature-dreaming-meditation-and-spirituality/
Please feel free enjoy to your heart’s content! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Richard A Cahill 1:31 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
Any post that mentions the immortal Ms. Parker twice gets a star on my refrigerator, Sr. Muse.
LikeLiked by 5 people
mistermuse 8:25 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
One of my favorite wits as well, Ricardo. When I’m at wit’s end, I can always count on her to restore my faith in humility (as in ‘humiliating putdowns’).
LikeLiked by 1 person
masercot 6:20 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
“Quote, unquote and quote”
“How many quotes is that, Jameson?”
“Three, sir”
“Three? Add another quote and make it a gallon”
Groucho Marx – Animal Crackers
LikeLiked by 5 people
mistermuse 8:39 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
Groucho was such a wise cracker that one would think he would be the Marx Brother at the famous Algonquin Round Table (where Dorothy Parker was ‘queen’), but instead it was Harpo.
LikeLiked by 2 people
masercot 8:45 am on September 5, 2018 Permalink
I’ve heard that Harpo could be pretty funny. Actually, I heard the same thing about Zeppo. Some biographer talked about how ungodly slow Zeppo Marx drove and the author of the book just got lulled and FELL OUT OF THE CAR. It was probably going about twenty miles an hour at the time…
LikeLiked by 2 people
calmkate 6:30 pm on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
lol gave me a smile, nice to see a post other than about him … 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
mistermuse 7:30 pm on September 5, 2018 Permalink |
“Him”? Who could you possibly be referring to? 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
calmkate 10:36 pm on September 7, 2018 Permalink
the king of terror maybe ….
LikeLiked by 2 people
restlessjo 3:22 am on September 7, 2018 Permalink |
I love it! I even remember the song 🙂 🙂 Original thinking is pretty hard, and I may have to spend the rest of my life quoting George Mikes.
LikeLiked by 3 people
mistermuse 9:34 am on September 7, 2018 Permalink |
Thanks, Jo. That song was actually made popular by Al Jolson several decades before the Bobby Darin rendition, but I chose the Darin clip because he was one of my favorite singers. As you may know, he died tragically young, otherwise he may have given Sinatra a run for his money.
LikeLiked by 1 person
restlessjo 11:20 am on September 7, 2018 Permalink
Happily I don’t go back quite as far as Al Jolson. 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Silver Screenings 3:15 pm on September 9, 2018 Permalink |
Fabulous quotes, and am very glad to see Dorothy Parker honoured here.
Also: Bobby Darin was the ultimate in Cool.
LikeLiked by 3 people
mistermuse 6:06 pm on September 9, 2018 Permalink |
Did you know that Dorothy Parker was also a song writer? If you’ll click on “Dorothy Parker” under “Tags” (right hand column near the top) and scroll down to my June 7 post EXCUSE MY DUST, you’ll come to a clip of I WISHED ON THE MOON, to which she wrote the lyrics.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Silver Screenings 6:08 pm on September 9, 2018 Permalink
What? Really? I’ll check it out – thanks!
LikeLiked by 2 people
markscheel1 3:37 pm on September 9, 2018 Permalink |
Muse,
Dare I disclose the following? A story of mine, I’ve just been informed, is a finalist in a Dorothy Parker writing contest where entrants are required to take the first line and last line of her “A Telephone Call” story and write their own story seamlessly in between. Furthermore, a little bird landed on my window recently and tweeted that you (and yours) are due for congratulations–and you know what for. So, by golly, congrats!!!!! And many more. 🙂
Mark
LikeLiked by 3 people
mistermuse 6:14 pm on September 9, 2018 Permalink |
Congrats on being a Dorothy Parker writing contest finalist, Mark — here’s hoping that your story wins (and, if so, that you post it). Also, thanks for the “you know what” congrats; I’m glad the tweet came from a little bird, not from you know who. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
rivergirl1211 4:59 pm on September 11, 2018 Permalink |
Well said, or quoted as the case may be.
“I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation.”
George Bernard Shaw
LikeLiked by 3 people
mistermuse 7:47 pm on September 11, 2018 Permalink |
Well quoted, by George. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
barkinginthedark 6:20 pm on September 11, 2018 Permalink |
tonite, the stars’ll twinkle and shine, this evening…about a quoter of nine. continue…
LikeLiked by 3 people
barkinginthedark 6:22 pm on September 11, 2018 Permalink |
actually i wrote that before i even knew what the Darin clip was. great minds. continue…
LikeLiked by 2 people
mistermuse 7:54 pm on September 11, 2018 Permalink |
In a way, that’s similar to Trump — he writes tweets before he knows what he’s talking about.
(Just kidding — that comparison was a terrible one to make!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
smbabbitt 10:53 pm on September 13, 2018 Permalink |
Just ran across this (from LOVE’S LABOURS LOST) in an old advertisement for a new book of quotations:
Moth. [Aside to COSTARD.] They have been at a great feast of languages, and stolen the scraps.
Costard. O! they have lived long on the almsbasket of words. I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word; for thou art not so long by the head as honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier swallowed than a flap-dragon.
LikeLiked by 3 people
smbabbitt 10:56 pm on September 13, 2018 Permalink |
Sorry, should have been LABOUR’S
LikeLike
mistermuse 11:45 pm on September 13, 2018 Permalink |
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person