These glorious insults are from an era before the English language became boiled down to 4-letter words
A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "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
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).
"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas.
"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.
"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyrand.
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker.
"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain.
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.." - Mae West.
"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
Thanks to Freddie who shared this.
.
0 comments to When Insults Had Class
Post a Comment