In the dying world I come from quotation is a national vice. It used to be the classics, now it's lyric verse.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Waugh observes that quoting has become a compulsive habit, shifting from classics to lyrics.
- In plain terms
- People in his world quote too much, now using songs instead of old books.
- What can you take from it?
- Quoting can become a vice rather than a virtue.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is quoting a form of thinking or avoidance?
- What does your quoting say about you?
Another view
Quoting can also show appreciation and shared knowledge.
More from Evelyn Waugh
If politicians and scientists were lazier, how much happier we should all be.
Permalink to quote #57 It is a curious thing... that every creed promises a paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for anyone of civilized taste.
Permalink to quote #59 I think to be oversensitive about cliches is like being oversensitive about table manners.
Permalink to quote #56
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