The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Preface

But now it is fled, fled far, far away.
‘The Flowers of the Forest’ (1765)
O fickle Fortune, why this cruel sporting?
Why thus torment us poor sons of day?
Nae mair your smiles can cheer me, nae mair your frowns can fear me,
For the flowers of the forest are a’ wade away.
‘The Flowers of the Forest’ (1765); wade weeded (often quoted ‘For the flowers of the forest are withered
away’)
3.128 Claud Cockburn 1904—
Small earthquake in Chile. Not many dead.
Winning entry in a ‘dullest headline’ competition at The Times, in ‘In Time of Trouble’ (1956) ch. 10
3.129 Jean Cocteau 1889-1963
Le tact dans l’audace c’est de savoir jusqu’oû on peut aller trop loin.
Being tactful in audacity is knowing how far one can go too far.
‘Le Rappel á l’ordre’ (1926) ‘Le Coq et l’Arlequin’ p. 2
Le pire drame pour un poéte, c’est d’être admirè par malentendu.
The worst tragedy for a poet is to be admired through being misunderstood.
‘Le Rappel á l’ordre’ (1926) ‘Le Coq et l’Arlequin’ p. 20
S’il faut choisir un crucifiè, la foule sauve toujours Barabbas.
If it has to choose who is to be crucified, the crowd will always save Barabbas.
‘Le Rappel á l’ordre’ (1926) ‘Le Coq et l’Arlequin’ p. 39
L’Histoire est un alliage de rèel et de mensonge. Le rèel de l’Histoire devient un mensonge.
L’irrèel de la fable devient vèritè .
History is a combination of reality and lies. The reality of History becomes a lie. The unreality
of the fable becomes the truth.
‘Journal d’un inconnu’ (1953) p. 143
Vivre est une chute horizontale.
Life is a horizontal fall.
‘Opium’ (1930) p. 37
Victor Hugo ètait un fou qui se croyait Victor Hugo.
Victor Hugo was a madman who thought he was Victor Hugo.
‘Opium’ (1930) p. 77
3.130 George M. Cohan 1878-1942
Give my regards to Broadway,
Remember me to Herald Square,
Tell all the gang at Forty-Second Street