The Enchiridion of Wit: The Best Specimens of English Conversational WitJ. B. Lippincott & Company, 1884 - 279 pages |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
actor Alvanley answered Archbishop Whately asked Bacon barrister better bishop Boswell Brougham called Charles Bannister Charles II Charles Lamb church conversation court Curran Daniel Purcell dear dining dinner dinner-party doctor Duke Earl England English exclaimed father fellow Foote French Garrick gentleman George Selwyn guinea happened head hear heard Henry Erskine Holland House honor Horne Tooke House of Commons humor inquired Ireland Irish Jekyll Jerrold Johnson joke king lady looking lord advocate Lord Alvanley Lord Chesterfield Lord Eldon Lord Ellenborough Lord North lordship Luttrell madam majesty Moore never nobleman observed occasion once party person Plunkett Pray preached Queen Quin remarked replied retort Rogers Scotch Scotchman Selwyn Sheridan shilling Sir Robert Sir Thomas speak speech story Sydney Smith talking tell Theodore Hook thing thought tion told Townshend turned Wilkes word young
Popular passages
Page 95 - Who, too deep for his hearers, still went on refining, And thought of convincing, while they thought of dining...
Page 9 - What things have we seen Done at the Mermaid! Heard words that have been So nimble and so full of subtle flame As if that every one from whence they came Had meant to put his whole wit in a jest, And had resolved to live a fool the rest Of his dull life.
Page 108 - Sir, he was a scoundrel, and a coward : a scoundrel for charging a blunderbuss against religion and morality ; a coward, because he had not resolution to fire it off himself, but left half a crown to a beggarly Scotchman to draw the trigger after his death...
Page 78 - For instance (said he), the fable of the little fishes, who saw birds fly over their heads, and, envying them, petitioned Jupiter to be changed into birds. The skill (continued he) consists in making them talk like little fishes.
Page 66 - I believe, Sir, you have a great many. Norway, too, has noble wild prospects ; and Lapland is remarkable for prodigious noble wild prospects. But, Sir, let me tell you, the noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees, is the high road that leads him to England !" This unexpected and pointed sally produced a roar of applause.
Page 78 - Why, Dr. Johnson, this is not so easy as you seem to think; for if you were to make little fishes talk, they would talk like WHALES.
Page 68 - Sir, you have no reason to be afraid of me. The Irish are not in a conspiracy to cheat the world by false representations of the merits of their countrymen. No, sir; the Irish are a FAIR PEOPLE ; — they never speak well of one another.
Page 35 - Here lies our Sovereign Lord the King, Whose word no man relies on ; Who never said a foolish thing, And never did a wise one.
Page 17 - Prithee," said my lord judge, " how came that in ?" " Why, if it please you, my lord, your name is Bacon, and mine is Hog, and in all ages Hog and Bacon have been so near kindred that they are not to be separated.