The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (162 page)

Field, Eugene
1850–95

1
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe—
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.

"Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" (1889)

2
He played the King as though under momentary apprehension that someone else was about to play the ace.
of Creston Clarke as King Lear

review attributed to Field, in the
Denver Tribune
c.
1880

[Field]

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Fielding, Helen
1958–

1
I will not…sulk about having no boyfriend, but develop inner poise and authority and sense of self as woman of substance, complete
without
boyfriend, as best way to obtain boyfriend.

Bridget Jones's Diary
(1996)

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Fielding, Henry
1707–54

1
Oh! The roast beef of England,
And old England's roast beef.

The Grub Street Opera
(1731) act 3, sc. 3

2
He in a few minutes ravished this fair creature, or at least would have ravished her, if she had not, by a timely compliance, prevented him.

Jonathan Wild
(1743) bk. 3, ch. 7

3
A lottery is a taxation
Upon all the fools in creation
And Heaven be praised
It is easily rais'd,
Credulity's always in fashion.

The Lottery
(1732) sc. 1

4
What is commonly called love, namely the desire of satisfying a voracious appetite with a certain quantity of delicate white human flesh.

Tom Jones
(1749) bk. 6, ch. 1

5
His designs were strictly honourable, as the phrase is; that is, to rob a lady of her fortune by way of marriage.

Tom Jones
(1749) bk. 11, ch. 4

6
All Nature wears one universal grin.

Tom Thumb the Great
(1731) act 1, sc. 1

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Fields, Dorothy
1905–74

1
A fine romance with no kisses.
A fine romance, my friend, this is.

"A Fine Romance" (1936 song)

2
Leave your worry on the doorstep,
Just direct your feet
To the sunny side of the street.

"On the Sunny Side of the Street" (1930 song)

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Fields, W. C.
1880–1946

1
Never give a sucker an even break.

title of a W. C. Fields film (1941); the catchphrase (Fields's own) is said to have originated in the musical comedy
Poppy
(1923)

2
Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch.

You Can't Cheat an Honest Man
(1939 film)

3
It ain't a fit night out for man or beast.

adopted by Fields but claimed by him not to be original; letter, 8 February 1944

4
Hell, I never vote
for
anybody. I always vote
against
.

Robert Lewis Taylor
W. C. Fields
(1950).

5
Here lies W. C. Fields. I would rather be living in Philadelphia.

suggested epitaph for himself, in
Vanity Fair
June 1925

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