George du Maurier

language lungs wind throat air shake drum bone

“Language is a poor thing. You fill your lungs with wind and shake a little slit in your throat, and make mouths, and that shakes the air; and the air shakes a pair of little drums in my head—a very complicated arrangement, with lots of bones behind—and my brain seizes your meaning in the rough. What a roundabout way, and what a waste of time.”

― George du Maurier (1834-1896)

apple ecellent peach

"An apple is an excellent thing — until you have tried a peach."

― George du Maurier (1834-1896)

best years mans life forty moon

"The best years of a man's life are after he is forty. A man at forty has ceased to hunt the moon."

― George du Maurier (1834-1896)

work play keep going

"A little work, a little play, To keep us going - and so, good-day!"

― George du Maurier (1834-1896)

happiness time space make measure contrast comparison

"Happiness is like time and space-we make and measure it ourselves; it is as fancy, as big, as little, as you please, just a thing of contrasts and comparisons."

― George du Maurier (1834-1896)

sick idle words weary perplex pander conceal language

"Sick I am of idle words, past all reconciling, Words that weary and perplex and pander and conceal, Wake the sounds that cannot lie, for all their sweet beguiling; The language one need fathom not, but only hear and feel."

― George du Maurier (1834-1896)