The Dictionary of Humorous Quotations

by Evan editor Esar

Nearly 4,000 quotations! 446 Authors! 1,376 indexed subjects! If you're an amateur wit-lover, a connoisseur of the apt and pungent phrase---If you're a professional writer or speaker with a flair for sparking a routine assignment with a shaft of humor---- "The Dictionary of Humorous Quotations" is your kind of book. The first comprehensive work of its kind, it thoroughly covers a phase of humor heretofore neglected by compilers. It is the Bartlett of humorous quotations. It includes every phrase and type of literary mot-epigram, paradox, and caricature; surgical satire and classic misquotations. It contains the gentle wit of Charles Lamb and the searing cynicism of Ambrose Bierce; the polished elegance of Lord Chesterfield and the earthy common sense of Will Rogers; the savage thrusts of Jonathon Swift and the warm friendliness of Heywood Broun. But it is more than just provocative reading. Its practical arrangement of the material under author entries and the comprehensive cross index by subject makes it an invaluable tool for the writer, the public speaker, the teacher-for anyone who understands the leavening uses of humor.

Genres: Reference, Humor

270 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1949

Reviews

[Marla Nayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was published in 1962. The quotations include people we know about and many we don’t. It has quotes going back a few hundred years and also includes some people, born late 1800s, who were still alive at the time of publication. Here are some of my favourites.

Fred Allen, born 1894, American radio wit: A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.

Michael Arlen born 1895, British Novelist and playwright: It is amazing how nice people are to you when they know you are going away.

Wystan Hugh Auden born 1907, English Poet: A professor is one who talks in someone else’s sleep.

Jane Austen, 1775-1817, English Novelist: A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.

Walter Bagehot, 1826-1877 English economist, essayist, and journalist: The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

James Montgomery Bailey, 1841-1894, American humorous journalist: When a couple of young people strongly devoted to each other commence to eat onions, it is safe to pronounce them engaged.

Honore de Balzac, 1799-1850, French novelist: Marriage is the end of man.

James Matthew Barrie, 1860-1937, Scottish dramatist and novelist: I am not young enough to know everything.

Note: Reminds me of a quote I’ve heard: All great physics discoveries are made by young physicists because the older ones know it can’t be done.

Caron de Beaumarchais, 1732-1799, French playwright: It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them.