Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3
#69996 05/16/02 04:53 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819
G
Geoff Offline OP
old hand
OP Offline
old hand
G
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819
I just returned from a play that was written by some local writers and actors which consisted of vignettes of fictional scenes from the Algonquin Round Table. It got me to wondering just how many common expressions were coined by these people. For example, Dorothy Parker is credited with "One night stand," and I think it was Heywood Broun who coined, "Red baiting." What other common terms did this group of nuts contribute?




#69997 05/16/02 12:50 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Dorothy Parker--

Men don't make passes, at girls who wear glasses.


#69998 05/16/02 01:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
W
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
When one of her friends announced imminent occurence of blessed event a month before actual occurrence, she sent telegram:

Dear Mary: We all knew you had it in you.
Dorothy Parker, telegram to friend who had given birth



#69999 05/16/02 01:11 PM
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
D
dxb Offline
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
D
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
I can't resist adding the response from Ogden Nash:

A girl who is bespectacled
Don't even get her nectacled
But safety pins and bassinets
Await the girl who fascinets.


#70000 05/16/02 01:13 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 170
S
member
Offline
member
S
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 170

#70001 05/16/02 03:32 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Dorothy Parker, when notified of the death of President Calvin Coolidge:

"How could they tell?"

From a book review:

"This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force."



Also from Dorothy Parker:

"Brevity is the soul of lingerie."




#70002 05/16/02 03:44 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
And one of the most famous theatrical quotes/axioms of all-time,
from playwright George S. Kaufman:

"Satire is what closes on Saturday night." hi Max!


#70003 05/16/02 03:47 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
well, we're not getting any more coinages, but I couldn't resist this probable repeat verse:

Life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporania;
And love is a thing that can never go wrong,
And I am Marie of Romania.
--Dorothy Parker


()

#70004 05/16/02 03:49 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
And from Robert Benchley:

"Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing."

"Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing."

"It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous."





#70005 05/16/02 04:18 PM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
If all the sweet young things at that party had been laid end to end I would not have been surprised.

Just one more drink and I'd have been under the host.







TEd
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,352
Members9,182
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
1 members (wofahulicodoc), 494 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,550
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,918
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5