The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Preface

‘Poèsias’ (1907) ‘Salmo II’
Cùrate de la affeccion de preocuparte cómo aparezías a los dem s. Cuídate sólo de cómo
aparezías Dios, cuídate de la idea que de ti Dios tenga.
Cure yourself of the condition of bothering about how you look to other people. Concern
yourself only with how you appear to God, with the idea that God has of you.
‘Vida de Don Quixote y Sancho’ (1905) pt. 1
9.3 John Updike 1932—
One out of three hundred and twelve Americans is a bore, for instance, and a healthy male
adult bore consumes each year one and a half times his own weight in other people’s patience.
‘Confessions of a Wild Bore’ in ‘Assorted Prose’ (1965)
The difficulty with humorists is that they will mix what they believe with what they don’t;
whichever seems likelier to win an effect.
‘Rabbit, Run’ (1960) p. 160
9.4 Archbishop James Ussher 1581-1656
Which beginning of time [the Creation] according to our Chronologie, fell upon the entrance of
the night preceding the twenty third day of October in the year of the Julian Calendar, 710.
‘The Annals of the World’ (1658) p. 1 (i.e. BC 4004)
9.5 Sir Peter Ustinov 1921—
I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always seemed to me the most
civilized music in the world.
‘Dear Me’ (1977) ch. 3
I do not believe that friends are necessarily the people you like best, they are merely the people
who got there first.
‘Dear Me’ (1977) ch. 5
Laughter would be bereaved if snobbery died.
In ‘Observer’ 13 March 1955
If Botticelli were alive today he’d be working for Vogue.
In ‘Observer’ 21 October 1962.
At the age of four with paper hats and wooden swords we’re all Generals.
Only some of us never grow out of it.
‘Romanoff and Juliet’ (1956) act 1
A diplomat these days is nothing but a head-waiter who’s allowed to sit down occasionally.
‘Romanoff and Juliet’ (1956) act 1
10.0 V
10.1 Paul Valèry 1871-1945