"The difference between the Republicans and Democratic Parties is the difference between syphilis and gonorrhea..."
Rita Mae Brown, Rita Will
"I wondered if I would grow up to be like Mother. Surely this is a fear that strikes terror in the heart of every female..."
Rita Mae Brown, Rita Will
We want a leader who is faithful to his/her spouse, rarely drinks, doesn't smoke, never smoked marijuana, never smashed up Dad's car, etc., etc.
Who is this person?
The most boring human being you have ever met.
Rita Mae Brown, Rita Will
"...before you meet the handsome prince you kiss a lot of toads."
Rita Mae Brown, Six Of One
"When people say there's nothing to choose, they mean that they want to avoid the responsibility of choosing."
P.D. James, A Certain Justice
"Nobody's life can be ruined except by themselves."
Agatha Christie, Problem At Pollensa Bay
"Life is a series of evasive maneuvers... You have to admire anyone who with the means to make a clean escape."
Karen Joy Fowler, The Marianas Islands
John Kessel, Mark L. Van Name, Richard Butner, Intersections
"SAID" BOOKISM
Artificial, literary verb you use to avoid the perfectly good word "said." "Said" is one of the few invisible words in the language; it is almost impossible to overuse. Infinitely less distracting than "he retorted," "she inquired," or the all-time favorite, "he ejaculated."
The Turkey City Lexicon: A Primer fo SF Workshops
John Kessel, Mark L. Van Name, Richard Butner, Intersections
"Evil is always possible."
Anne Rice, Interview With The Vampire
"Grandmothers and grandchildren get along because they have a common enemy."
Cathleen Schine, The Love Letter
"Have you heard the one about the dyslexic agnostic insomniac?"
"He lay awake all night trying to figure out if there really was a dog."
Linda Jaivin, Rock'n'Roll Babes From Outer Space