The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Preface

Un poéme n’est jamais achevè—c’est toujours un accident qui le termine, c’est-á-dire qui le
donne au public.
A poem is never finished; it’s always an accident that puts a stop to it—i.e. gives it to the
public.
‘Littèrature’ (1930) p. 46
Il faut n’appeler Science: que l’ensemble des recettes qui rèussissent toujours.—Tout le reste
est littèrature.
‘Science’ means simply the aggregate of all the recipes that are always successful. All the rest
is literature.
‘Moralitès’ (1932) p. 41
Dieu crèa l’homme, et ne le trouvant pas assez seul, il lui donne une compagne pour lui faire
mieux sentir sa solitude.
God created man and, finding him not sufficiently alone, gave him a companion to make him
feel his solitude more keenly.
‘Tel Quel 1’ (1941) ‘Moralitès’
La politique est l’art d’empêcher les gens de se mêler de ce qui les regarde.
Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.
‘Tel Quel 2’ (1943) ‘Rhumbs’
10.2 Sir John Vanbrugh 1664-1726
The want of a thing is perplexing enough, but the possession of it is intolerable.
‘The Confederacy’ (1705) act 1, sc. 2
Much of a muchness.
‘The Provoked Husband’ (1728) act 1, sc. 1
Belinda: Ay, but you know we must return good for evil.
Lady Brute: That may be a mistake in the translation.
‘The Provoked Wife’ (1697) act 1, sc. 1
Thinking is to me the greatest fatigue in the world.
‘The Relapse’ (1696) act 2, sc. 1
No man worth having is true to his wife, or can be true to his wife, or ever was, or ever will be
so.
‘The Relapse’ (1696) act 3, sc. 2
10.3 Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss
Itsy bitsy teenie weenie, yellow polkadot bikini.
Title of song (1960)
10.4 Vivien van Damm c.1889-1960
We never closed.
Referring to the Windmill Theatre in London during World War II, in ‘Tonight and Every Night’ (1952) ch.