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Dorothy Parker Quotes

Poet

Dorothy Parker, an American poet, playwright, and critic, was born on August 22, 1893, and died on June 7, 1967. Known for her wit, satire, and humor, she is a prominent figure in 20th-century American literature.

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All Ifs Men Knows People Thinking Book Writing Love Giving Should Heart Humor World May Two Way Women Firsts Art Fun

Famous Dorothy Parker Quotes

“I misremember who first was cruel enough to nurture the cocktail party into life. But perhaps it would be not too much to say, in fact it would be not enough to say, that it was not worth the trouble.”

Firsts Enough Facts Would Be Party Too Much Trouble Nurture Cocktails Cocktail Parties

Author:Dorothy Parker

“My first love was Cinderella, but she ran off with another man.”

Men Firsts God Stupidity Ran First Love Another Man

Author:Dorothy Parker

“A list of authors who have made themselves most beloved and therefore, most comfortable financially, shows that it is our national joy to mistake for the first-rate, the fecund rate.”

Firsts Made Shows Joy Mistake Comfortable Rate Lists Beloved

Book:Dorothy Parker in Her Own Words

Source: Dorothy Parker in Her Own Words

“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.”

Firsts Morning Tongue Teeth Brushes Kick Ass Sharpening

Author:Dorothy Parker

“Be you wise and never sad, You will get your lovely lad. Never serious be, nor true, And your wish will come to you-- And if that makes you happy, kid, You'll be the first it ever did.”

Ifs Firsts Kids Wish Wise Serious Lovely Be You Make You Happy Lad Happy Kid

Book:Collected poems: Not so deep as a well

Source: Collected poems: Not so deep as a well

“Lady, lady, never start Conversation toward your heart; Keep your pretty words serene; Never murmur what you mean. Show yourself, by word and look, Swift and shallow as a brook. Be as cool and quick to go As a drop of April snow; Be as delicate and gay As a cherry flower in May. Lady, lady, never speak Of the tears that burn your cheek- She will never win him, whose Words had shown she feared to lose. Be you wise and never sad, You will get your lovely lad. Never serious be, nor true, And your wish will come to you- And if that makes you happy, kid, You'll be the first it ever did.”

“I regret to say that during the first act of this, I fell so soundly asleep that the gentleman who brought me piled up a barricade of overcoat, hat, stick, and gloves between us to establish a separation in the eyes of the world, and went into an impersonation of A Young Man Who Has Come to the Theater Unaccompanied.”

Men World Firsts Eye Young Regret Theater Sticks Separation Young Man Gentleman Hats Gloves I Regret Barricades Overcoat

Author:Dorothy Parker

“It is that word 'hunny,' my darlings, that marks the first place in The House at Pooh Corner at which Tonstant Weader fwowed up.”

Firsts House Mark Corners Darling

Author:Dorothy Parker

“I was always sweet, at first. Oh, it's so easy to be sweet to people before you love them.”

People Firsts Easy Sweet

Book:Complete Stories

Source: Complete Stories

“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second-greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first-greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they're happy.”

Ifs Writing Firsts Young Courses Can Do Friendship Style Becoming Elements Happy Favors Copies Aspire Being Happy Feeling Happy Young Writers Aspiring Writers Young Friends

Author:Dorothy Parker

“It takes me six months to do a story. I think it out and then write it sentence by sentence - no first draft. I can't write five words but that I change seven.”

Thinking Writing Firsts I Can Stories Five Months Six Seven Sentences Take Me Six Months Revision Rewriting

Author:Dorothy Parker

About the Author

Born: August 22, 1893
Died: June 7, 1967
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 347

Books & Sources

Dorothy Parker in Her Own WordsRelated source material

Complete StoriesRelated source material

A month of Saturdays: thirty-one famous pieces byRelated source material

Dorothy ParkerRelated source material

Not So Deep as a WellRelated source material

Not Much Fun: The Lost Poems of Dorothy ParkerRelated source material

The Sayings of Dorothy ParkerRelated source material

The Complete Poems of Dorothy ParkerRelated source material

Collected poems: Not so deep as a wellRelated source material

The Portable Dorothy ParkerRelated source material

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