Quotes About Formality

He has a kind of exaggerated politeness that is kind of like a military man.

No one would be fooled, but propriety would be maintained.

The extreme formality with which he addresses these officers carries an important subtext: your problem, sir, is deciding what you want me to do, and my problem, sir, is doing it. My gung-ho posture says that once you give the order I'm not going to bother you with any of the details—and your half of the bargain is you had better stay on your side of the line, sir, and not bother me with any of the chickenshit politics that you have to deal with for a living.

He will see you immediately, mademoiselle!" announced de Mayet, though not until after they had watched a second candelabra

Draden stepped back and saluted his friend and commanding officer. [...] Its been an honor to serve with you, sir. Their GhostWalker unit didnt stand on formality as a rule.[...]He felt it was important for Joe Spagnola to know how he felt about the man. Joe looked stricken, but his back was ramrod stiff. Fight, Draden.[...]

Charlie found himself affecting the Emperor's formal speech patterns, as if somehow he had been transported to a royal court where a nobleman was distinguished by the crumbs in his beard and the royal guard were not above licking their balls.

Too much protocol.

The reply was: "Whom shall I say, sir?"—in smart society the only persons who bother with grammar are the butler and the social secretary.

Jem drew back from her, looking dazed. "By the Angel," he said. "Perhaps we do need a chaperon.

out of it glided ladies in dresses that trailed along in a rustle of silk, men who swept their hats off with the same grandeur with which they swung their canes, liveried servants with impassive expressions, expectant drivers and porters bearing lighted candles.

Byron kissed her gloved hand as they stepped lightly round one another. He could dance like rivers could run. No one had ever kissed her hand before. Emily felt like she was going to throw up and like she was flying all at once.

I felt myself like a foolish bird, a bird born in a cage without power to attain freedom... I walked along the fields, by the neat iron railing with which they were enclosed. All about me was visible the care of man. Nature herself seemed under the power of the formal influence, and flourished with rigidity and decorum. Nothing was left wild. The trees were lopped into proper shape, cut down here where their presence seemed inelegant and planted there to complete the symmetry of a group.

U.N.-orchestrated gatherings are typically the death of all spontaneity and innovation.

You put on the military outfit, and it definitely tightens everything up and makes you stand up straighter.

An official man is always an official man, and has a wild belief in the value of Reports.

Everyone stood when Hayes entered the room. The President walked over to the German ambassador, Gustav Koch, and shook his hand. He then grabbed one of the two chairs in front of the fireplace. Michael Haik took the other chair, and Kennedy sat on the couch next to General Flood, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Next to General Flood sat his boss, Secretary of Defense Rick Culbertson. Directly across from them sat Secretary of State Midleton and the German ambassador

Directly anything happens—it may be a marriage, or a birth, or a death—on the whole they prefer it to be a death—every one wants to see you. They insist upon seeing you. They've got nothing to say; they don't care a rap for you; but you've got to go to lunch or to tea or to dinner, and if you don't you're damned. It's the smell of blood, she continued; I don't blame 'em; only they shan't have mind if I know it!

Who grins in official circumstances?

The hoary judge put his mouth close to his ear, panted for a moment, made the announcement and slowly moved away, as though ungluing himself.

Our marriage is strictly in name only. It has never been consummated.

Those venerable and feeble persons were always seen by the public in the act of bowing, and were popularly believed, when they had bowed a customer out, still to keep on bowing in the empty office until they bowed another customer in.

Good day, citizeness.

He is of what is called the old school — a phrase generally meaning any school that seems never to have been young — and wears knee-breeches tied with ribbons, and gaiters or stockings.

Here he shook hands with me; not in the common way, but standing at a good distance from me, and lifting my hand up and down like a pump handle, that he was a little afraid of.