The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Preface

If Music and sweet Poetry agree,
As they must needs (the Sister and the Brother)
Then must the love be great, ’twixt thee and me,
Because thou lov’st the one, and I the other.
‘Poems: in Divers Humours’ (1598) ‘To his friend Mister R. L.’
2.37 Phineas T. Barnum 1810-91
There’s a sucker born every minute.
Attributed
2.38 Sir J. M. Barrie 1860-1937
His lordship may compel us to be equal upstairs, but there will never be equality in the
servants’ hall.
‘The Admirable Crichton’ (performed 1902, published 1914) act 1
It’s my deserts; I’m a second eleven sort of chap.
‘The Admirable Crichton’ (performed 1902, published 1914) act 3
The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and
his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.
‘The Little Minister’ (1891) vol. 1, ch. 1
It’s grand, and you canna expect to be baith grand and comfortable.
‘The Little Minister’ (1891) vol. 1, ch. 10
Facts were never pleasing to him. He acquired them with reluctance and got rid of them with
relief. He was never on terms with them until he had stood them on their heads.
‘Love Me Never or For Ever’
When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they
all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.
‘Peter Pan’ (1928) act 1
Every time a child says ‘I don’t believe in fairies’ there is a little fairy somewhere that falls
down dead.
‘Peter Pan’ (1928) act 1
To die will be an awfully big adventure.
‘Peter Pan’ (1928) act 3.
Do you believe in fairies? Say quick that you believe! If you believe, clap your hands!
‘Peter Pan’ (1928) act 4
That is ever the way. ’Tis all jealousy to the bride and good wishes to the corpse.
‘Quality Street’ (performed 1901, published 1913) act 1
One’s religion is whatever he is most interested in, and yours is Success.
‘The Twelve-Pound Look’ (1921)
Charm...it’s a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it, you don’t need to have anything else;
and if you don’t have it, it doesn’t much matter what else you have. Some women, the few, have