WIST Quotations

Allingham, William -- Poem (1849-01), “The Fairies: A Nursery Song,” Poems (1850)

Dave — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:48:20 +0000

Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren’t go a hunting,
For fear of little men.

William Allingham (1824–1889) Irish poet, diarist
Poem (1849-01), “The Fairies: A Nursery Song,” Poems (1850)
(Source)

For more info on possible inspirations of this poem, see here.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott -- Notebook E “Epigrams, Wisecracks and Jokes,” § 436 (1932-1940)

Dave — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 18:20:22 +0000

The kiss originated when the first male reptile licked the first female reptile, implying in a subtle, complimentary way that she was as succulent as the small reptile he had for dinner the night before.

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) American writer [Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald]
Notebook E “Epigrams, Wisecracks and Jokes,” § 436 (1932-1940)

Originally collected in Edmund Wilson, ed., The Crack-Up (1945), then in the unexpurgated Matthew Bruccoli, ed., Notebooks of F. Scott Fitzgerald (1978).

Krutch, Joseph Wood -- The Great Chain of Life, ch. 9 “Reverence for Life” (1956)

Dave — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 15:34:48 +0000

When a man wantonly destroys one of the works of man we call him Vandal. When he wantonly destroys one of the works of God we call him Sportsman.

Joseph Wood Krutch (1893-1970) American educator, writer, critic, naturalist
The Great Chain of Life, ch. 9 “Reverence for Life” (1956)
(Source)

Often misquoted as "a vandal ... a sportsman."

Maher, Bill -- “Stand-Up for Animals,” PETA show, Los Angeles (15 Jun 2014)

Dave — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 13:46:08 +0000

Is it really a sport if you have all the equipment and your opponent doesn’t know a game is going on?

William "Bill" Maher (b. 1956) American comedian, political commentator, critic, television host.
“Stand-Up for Animals,” PETA show, Los Angeles (15 Jun 2014)
(Source)

On hunting.