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Quotes About Conversation

Look, here comes Twinkletoes, said Bunny, busying himself with the menu.
~ Donna Tartt
A guesstimate?" prompted the man Enrique. "About your dad?" "Ballpark will do," the Korean lady said.
~ Donna Tartt
talk about their work, their families, their lives. He had always loved to talk, but now he learned to listen, and to listen intently, his head nodding in a welcoming way, with an air of sympathetic identification, an attentive posture and manner that would become a lifelong characteristic.
~ Doris Kearns Goodwin
Aber eins weiß ich schon jetzt. Worum wir trauern, wenn uns Angehörige sterben, das sind die ungeführten Gespräche.
~ Doris Lessing
Why write stories? To join the conversation.
~ Dorothy Allison
Talk to me, Richard. It isn't difficult. Move the teeth and agitate the tongue. Tell me news of the family. Am I superseded yet? Oh, Richard, a blush!
~ Dorothy Dunnett
It doesn't do my self-esteem much good though, does it?' 'Your self-esteem has had a lifetime of steady attention,' said Philippa abstractedly.
~ Dorothy Dunnett
What to do when attacked at sea, lessons one to ten. They had spent their first morning at sea being trained, remorselessly, by Francis Crawford for this precise event. 'I know what to do,' said Philippa. 'Offer them the raspberry wine and keep them talking till Mother comes in.
~ Dorothy Dunnett
You've changed the metre,' said Philippa. 'I reserve the right,' said Lymond, 'to change the metre. Don't interrupt.
~ Dorothy Dunnett
Good God, here am I with stockings in either hand, panting towards restitution. I merely require you to keep my soul out of the general conversation.' 'And your brother's soul?' said James Stewart. He was drawling again. 'I understood,' said Lymond, 'that you had that in hand.
~ Dorothy Dunnett
Gabriel thinks a lot of you.' 'I thought I talked too much for his comfort,' said Lymond. 'But I hear he has a ravishing sister. I must mend my ways.
~ Dorothy Dunnett
She said peevishly, 'Do you consider I'm old enough to stop calling you Mr Crawford?' 'No,' said Mr Crawford shortly. 'What alternatives would you suggest? Master? Uncle?' 'That would certainly unsettle the Maréchale, for one,' said Philippa more cheerfully.
~ Dorothy Dunnett
If anybody ever marries you, it will be for the pleasure of hearing you talk piffle.
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
By all means,' said Harriet. 'Where did you come from?' 'From London--like a bird that hears the call of its mate.' 'I didn't-- began Harriet. 'I didn't mean you. I meant the corpse. But still, talking of mates, will you marry me?
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
They cultivated normality till it stood out of them all over in knobs, like the muscles upon professional strong men, and scarcely looked normal at all. And they talked interminably and loudly. From their bouncing mental health ordinary ill-balanced mortals shrank in alarm.
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
Fou!" "Who?" "I didn't say 'who'; I said 'fou,' " "I know you did. I said who?" "Who?" "Who's fou?" "Oh, is. By Jove, 'suis'! 'Je suis fou.
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
Peter: Oy! Harriet: Hullo! Peter: I just wanted to ask whether you'd given any further thought to that suggestion about marrying me. Harriet (sarcastically) : I suppose you were thinking how delightful it would be to go through life together like this? Peter: Well, not quite like this. Hand in hand was more my idea. Harriet: What is that in your hand? Peter: A dead starfish. Harriet: Poor fish! Peter: No ill-feeling, I trust? Harriet: Oh, dear no.
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
Of course, [Miss Climpson,] you mustn't appear to be inquiring. You must find some good gossipy lady living in the neighborhood and just get her to talk in a natural way. You must pretend to be gossipy yourself – it's not in your nature, I know, but I'm sure you can make a little pretence about it – and find out all you can.
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
I think,' said Bredon, who was accustomed to his father's meaningless outbursts of speech, 'she's silly.' 'So do I; but don't say I said so.' 'And rude.' 'And rude. I, on the other hand, am silly, but seldom rude. Your mother is neither rude nor silly.' 'Which am I?' 'You are an egotistical extravert of the most irrepressible type.
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
It is always reasonably easy to get conversation going in a pub, and it will be a black day for detectives when beer is abolished. After
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
you were speaking just now with a good deal of feeling about Treble Bob—you are not, yourself, by any chance, a ringer?" "Well," said Wimsey, "I used at one time to pull quite a pretty rope. But whether, at this time of day——
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
Have some Oxford marmalade - and then I'll show you my Dante.
~ Dorothy L. Sayers
Of course I talk to myself. I like a good speaker, and I appreciate an intelligent audience.
~ Dorothy Parker
But I give you my word, in the entire book there is nothing that cannot be said aloud in mixed company. And there is, also, nothing that makes you a bit the wiser. I wonder--oh, what will you think of me--if those two statements do not verge upon the synonymous.
~ Dorothy Parker