Saki Quotes

Reginald in his wildest lapses into veracity never admits to being more than twenty-two.

Children are given us to discourage our better emotions.

Whenever a massacre of Armenians is reported from Asia Minor, every one assumes that it has been carried out "under orders" from somewhere or another; no one seems to think that there are people who might like to kill their neighbours now and then.

The Western custom of one wife and hardly any mistress.

By insisting on having your bottle pointing to the north when the cork is being drawn, and calling the waiter Max, you may induce an impression on your guests which hours of laboured boasting might be powerless to achieve. For this purpose, however, the guests must be chosen as carefully as the wine.

I love Americans, but not when they try to talk French. What a blessing it is that they never try to talk English.

You can't expect the fatted calf to share the enthusiasm of the angels over the prodigal's return.

The sacrifices of friendship were beautiful in her eyes as long as she was not asked to make them.

And the sleeper, eye unlidding,
Heard a voice for ever bidding
Much farewell to Dolly Gray;
Turning weary on his truckle-
Bed he heard the honey-suckle
Lauded in apiarian lay.

The death of John Pennington had left his widow in circumstances which were more straitened than ever, and the Park had receded even from her notepaper, where it had long been retained as a courtesy title on the principle that addresses are given to us to conceal our whereabouts.

A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation.

His socks compelled one's attention without losing one's respect.

I found everyone talking nervously and feverishly of the weather and the war in South Africa, except Reginald, who was reclining in a comfortable chair with the dreamy, far-away look that a volcano might wear just after it had desolated entire villages.

Think how many blameless lives are brightened by the blazing indiscretions of other people.

The cook was a good cook, as cooks go; and as cooks go she went.