And in spite of his practical ability, some of his experience had petrified into maxims and quotations. – George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), Daniel Deronda (Book II, Meeting Streams), 1876

QUOTATION, n. The act of repeating erroneously the words of another. The words erroneously repeated. – Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

I never have found the perfect quote. At best I have been able to find a string of quotations which merely circle the ineffable idea I seek to express. – Attributed to Caldwell O’Keefe in The Trademark Reporter, Vol.93, 2003

Dr. [Richard] Bentley’s son reading a novel, the Doctor said, “Why read a book which you cannot quote?” – Walpoliana (Horace Walpole, John Pinkerton), “Useless Reading,” January 1800