WIST Quotations Has Moved!Nov 17, 2025

A quotation from G. K. Chesterson

For there are two ways of dealing with nonsense in this world. One way is to put nonsense in the right place; as when people put nonsense into nursery rhymes. The other is to put nonsense in the wrong place; as when they put it into educational addresses, psychological criticisms, and complaints against nursery rhymes or other normal amusements of mankind.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) English journalist and writer
Essay (1921-10-15), “Child Psychology and Nonsense,” closing words, Illustrated London News, “Our Notebook” column

More info about this quote: wist.info/chesterton-gilbert-k…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #chesterton #gkchesterton #academia #amusement #childpsychology #childrearing #literature #education #fun #imagination #nonsense #nurseryrhymes #pedagogy #pomposity #psychology

Essay (1921-10-15), "Child Psychology and Nonsense," closing words, Illustrated London News, "Our Notebook" column - Chesterton, Gilbert Keith | WIST Quotations

For there are two ways of dealing with nonsense in this world. One way is to put nonsense in the right place; as when people put nonsense into nursery rhymes. The other is to put nonsense in the wrong place; as when they put it into educational addresses, psychological criticisms,…

WIST Quotations
WIST Quotations Has Moved!Nov 13, 2025

A quotation from Josh Billings

But thare iz lots ov pholks who kant see enny phun in enny thing, yu couldn’t fire a joke into them with a double barrell gun, 10 paces off, they go thru life az sollum az a cow. Menny people think it iz beneath their dignity to relish a joke, sutch people are simply fools, and dont seem to kno it.
 
[But there are lots of folks who can’t see any fun in anything; you couldn’t fire a joke into them with a double-barrel gun, ten paces off; they go through life as solemn as a cow. May people think it is beneath their dignity to relish a joke; such people are simply fools, and don’t seem to know it.]

Josh Billings (1818-1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1875-04 “Fun” (1875 ed.)

More about this quote: wist.info/billings-josh/80351/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #joshbillings #dignity #ego #enjoyment #fun #humor #jokes #pomposity #pride #senseofhumor

Josh Billings' Farmer's Allminax, 1875-04 "Fun" (1875 ed.) - Billings, Josh | WIST Quotations

But thare iz lots ov pholks who kant see enny phun in enny thing, yu couldn't fire a joke into them with a double barrell gun, 10 paces off, they go thru life az sollum az a cow. Menny people think it iz beneath their dignity to relish a joke,…

WIST Quotations
WIST Quotations Has Moved!Oct 17, 2025

A quotation from Orwell

I never read the proclamations of generals before battle, the speeches of fuehrers and prime ministers, the solidarity songs of public schools and left-wing political parties, national anthems, Temperance tracts, papal encyclicals and sermons against gambling and contraception, without seeming to hear in the background a chorus of raspberries from all the millions of common men to whom these high sentiments make no appeal.

George Orwell (1903-1950) English writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Essay (1941-09), “The Art of Donald McGill,” Horizon Magazine

More info about this quote: wist.info/orwell-george/79754/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #georgeorwell #diatribe #engagement #inspiration #majesty #pomposity #proclamation #sentiments #sermon #speech #speechifying #commonman #commonpeople

WIST Quotations Has Moved!Aug 4, 2025

A quotation from Montesquieu

Solemnity is the fool’s shield and buckler.
 
[La gravité est la bouclier des sots.]

Charles-Lewis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) French political philosopher
Pensées Diverses [Assorted Thoughts], # 1637 / 1051 (1720-1755) [ed. Guterman (1963)]

Sourcing, notes, other translations: wist.info/montesquieu/78201/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #montesquieu #dolt #fool #gravity #idiot #momentousness #protection #selfrighteousness #seriousness #shield #solemnity #pomposity #pomp

the roamerAug 1, 2025

You couldn't make it up, part #3446.

Anglican bishop kicks cheerful choir out of "his" church, even though they had booked it and had performed there for years. He did so in bare feet, wearing a dressing gown.

"You are in my house", the pompous bishop said. (Jesus would disagree on the ownership attribution.)

Priceless. Anthony Trollope could not invent a better plot.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/01/bishop-shut-down-london-choir-dressing-gown-issues-apology

#pomposity
#JonathanBaker #BishopOfFulham #CityAcademyVoices #ChurchOfEngland #AnthonyTrollope

#thechurchofenglandisdeadandhasbeendeadforalongtimeletallthosebishopsandarchbishopsanddeansretirenow

Bishop who shut down London choir in his dressing gown issues apology

Bishop of Fulham says sorry for offence caused when he told singers to leave for making ‘terrible racket’

The Guardian
Joe B. WallJul 15, 2025

I contend that the main Lovecraftian Horror™ in Lovecraft is his drearily florid, overwrought writing, compounded by his berserk racism and antisemitism.

#Lovecraft #Lovecraftianhorror #overwroughtwriting #pomposity #badwriting #yawn

WIST Quotations moves again!Oct 10, 2024

A quotation from Colton, Charles Caleb:

«
A harmless hilarity and a buoyant cheerfulness are not infrequent concomitants of genius; and we are never more deceived than when we mistake gravity for greatness, solemnity for science, and pomposity for erudition.
»

Full quote, sourcing, notes:
https://wist.info/colton-charles-caleb/34647/

#quote #quotes #quotation #cheer #creativity #genius #goodhumor #gravity #greatness #meme #pomposity #selfimportance #seriousness #solemnity

NonilexSep 15, 2023

#FernandoBotero, #Colombian #artist of rotund and whimsical imagery, dies at 91

His emblematic oversized figures, evoking #vanity, #pomposity & #greed, brought global attention to #LatinAmerican #art

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2023/09/15/fernando-botero-artist-colombia-dead/

Fernando Botero, Colombian artist of rotund and whimsical imagery, dies at 91

His emblematic oversized figures, evoking vanity, pomposity and greed, brought global attention to Latin American art.

The Washington Post
WIST Quotations moves again!Jun 17, 2023

A quotation from Havel, Vaclav:

«««««
Anyone who takes himself too seriously always runs the risk of looking ridiculous; anyone who can consistently laugh at himself does not.
»»»»»

Full quote, sourcing, notes:
https://wist.info/havel-vaclav/7271/

#quote #quotes #quotation #laugher #ridicule #selfawareness #seriousness #takeseriously #pomposity #selfimportance #silliness #absurdity

clint verdonschotJan 23, 2023

#Tanzania's first president, Julius #Nyerere, abhorred #pomposity and hated being called "your excellency". Instead, during his tenure as president, his staff referred to him as "Mzee", a #Swahili word meaning "old man".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Nyerere?wprov=sfla1

Julius Nyerere - Wikipedia