Misquotation is, in fact, the pride and privilege of the learned. A widely-read man never quotes accurately, for the rather obvious reason that he has read too widely. – Hesketh Pearson
Misquotations are the only quotations that are never misquoted. – Hesketh Pearson
It should be a pleasure to the appreciative reader, while recognizing their beauty, to cull these flowers of thought for the benefit of those who, less fortunate than himself, have not the time to indulge in literary pleasures. – Maturin M. Ballou, January 1886, preface to Edge-Tools of Speech
It sometimes happens at the end of a dinner, when jokes and walnuts are cracked together, that the paternity of some trite quotation is put in question, and at once the wit of the whole company is set wool-gathering. – Frederic Swartwout Cozzens, “Phrases and Filberts,” Sayings, Wise and Otherwise
On one level, nothings really changed in my life. I still drive my daughter in the car pool on Monday. But its impossible not to be aware of this rush of attention its impossible not to be seduced by it once youve entered into it, seduced by being unhappy when the attention wanes. – Michael Tolkin