Buzz
Dorothy Parker, born on August 22, 1893, and passing away on June 7, 1967, was a celebrated American author and poet renowned for her sharp wit, clever humor, and insightful commentary on 20th-century urban life. Despite a troubled and unhappy upbringing, she gained fame through her literary contributions in publications like The New Yorker and as a key figure in the Algonquin Round Table. Her letters, short stories, and essays are exceptionally witty, and I highly recommend exploring her works!
Quotes 1 to 5
1. It doesn’t matter what people say about me, as long as it’s false.
2. True wit contains honesty, while wisecracks are merely verbal gymnastics.
3. An old belief system cannot be taught new methods.
4. It’s abundantly clear to me that I’ll never achieve anything noteworthy. I won’t gain fame, and my name will never be prominently listed among those who accomplish great deeds. I don’t do anything significant—not even small habits like biting my nails, which I’ve given up.
5. I might try to calm myself by slowly reciting a collection of profound and beautiful quotes from brilliant minds—if I can recall any of them, that is.
Quotes 6 to 10
6. There are four things I would have been better off without: love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.
7. I demand just three qualities in a man: he must be attractive, ruthless, and not too bright.
8. Focus on the luxuries, and the essentials will manage themselves.
9. While money can’t purchase health, I wouldn’t mind a wheelchair adorned with diamonds.
10. The most delightful phrase in English is ‘cheque enclosed.’
Quotes 11 to 15
11. Curiosity is the remedy for boredom, but there’s no remedy for curiosity itself.
12. I got what I deserved for putting all my hopes in one untrustworthy person. (Remarked after leaving the hospital following an abortion).
13. All I require is space for a hat and a handful of good friends.
14.
I enjoy a martini, Two at most. By the third, I’m under the table, By the fourth, I’m under my host.
15. Bobbing for apples — alter one letter, and it sums up my life.
Quotes 16 to 20
16. I’ve never had millions, but I’m certain I’d excel at being a millionaire.
17. To understand God’s opinion of wealth, just observe those to whom He’s given it.
18. When challenged to use the word horticulture in a sentence during a game, Parker quipped: You can lead a horticulture, but you can’t make her think.
19. Regarding Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, Parker remarked: “This isn’t a book to be discarded gently. It deserves to be hurled with immense force.”
20. I’ve been overwhelmingly occupied—or perhaps the other way around. (her reply to an editor requesting more stories while she was on her honeymoon)
