I don't like giving names to generations. It's like trying to read the song title on a record that's spinning.

I don't like giving names to generations. It's like trying to read the song title on a record that's spinning.

Miss: A title with which we brand unmarried women to indicate that they are in the market. Miss, Misses (Mrs.) read more

Miss: A title with which we brand unmarried women to indicate that they are in the market. Miss, Misses (Mrs.) and Mister (Mr.) are the three most distinctly disagreeable words in the language, in sound and sense. Two are corruptions of Mistress, the other of Master. If we must have them, let us be consistent and give one to the unmarried man. I venture to suggest Mush, abbreviated to MH.

Every human being has hundreds of separate people living under his skin. The talent of a writer is his ability read more

Every human being has hundreds of separate people living under his skin. The talent of a writer is his ability to give them their separate names, identities, personalities and have them relate to other characters living with him.

"Whose name was writ in water!" What large laughter
Among the immortals when that word was brought!
read more

"Whose name was writ in water!" What large laughter
Among the immortals when that word was brought!
Then when his fiery spirit rose flaming after,
High toward the topmost heaven of heavens up-caught!
"All hail! our younger brother!" Shakespeare said,
And Dante nodded his imperial head.

I have a passion for the name of "Mary,"
For once it was a magic sound to me,
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I have a passion for the name of "Mary,"
For once it was a magic sound to me,
And still it half calls up the realms of fairy,
Where I beheld what never was to be.

If the fairest features of the landscape are to be named after men, let them be the noblest and worthiest read more

If the fairest features of the landscape are to be named after men, let them be the noblest and worthiest men alone.

We call a fig a fig, and a skiff a skiff.
[Lat., Ficum vocamus ficum, et scapham scapham.]

We call a fig a fig, and a skiff a skiff.
[Lat., Ficum vocamus ficum, et scapham scapham.]

Old age is . . . a lot of crossed off names in an address book.

Old age is . . . a lot of crossed off names in an address book.

I decided that I would be one of the biggest new names; and I actually had some little fancy business read more

I decided that I would be one of the biggest new names; and I actually had some little fancy business cards printed up to announce it, "Count Basie. Beware, the Count is Here."