The worst sin—perhaps the only sin—passion can commit is to be joyless.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Unhappiness, Happiness, Passion
To subdue one’s self to one’s own ends might be dangerous, but to subdue one’s self to other people’s ends was dust and ashes. Yet there were those, still more unhappy, who envied even the ashy saltness of those dead sea apples.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
A society in which consumption has to be artificially stimulated in order to keep production going is a society founded on trash and waste, and such a society is a house built upon sand.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Consumerism
Time and trouble will tame an advanced young woman, but an advanced old woman is uncontrollable by any earthly force.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Aging, Age
Trouble shared is trouble halved.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Adversity, Trouble
The English language has a deceptive air of simplicity; so have some little frocks; but they are both not the kind of thing you can run up in half an hour with a machine.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Writing
As I grow older and older
And totter towards the tomb,
I find I care less and less
Who goes to bed with whom.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Sex
There is a universal moral law, as distinct from a moral code, which consists of certain statements of fact about the nature of man, and by behaving in conformity with which, man may enjoy his true freedom.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Ethics
The library, with its tall bays and overhanging gallery, looked east and was already rather dark. Harriet found it restful.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Libraries
Those who prefer their English sloppy have only themselves to thank if the advertisement writer uses his mastery of vocabulary and syntax to mislead their weak minds.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Advertising
If it were not for the war, this war would suit me down to the ground.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: War
It is the sin that believes in nothing,
cares for nothing,
seeks to know nothing,
interferes with nothing,
enjoys nothing,
hates nothing,
finds purpose in nothing,
lives for nothing,
and remains alive
because there is nothing for which it will die.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Boredom
She always says, my lord, that facts are like cows. If you look them in the face hard enough they generally run away.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Facts
Every time a man expects, as he says, his money to work for him, he is expecting other people to work for him.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Wealth
Trouble shared is trouble halved.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Adversity
I always have a quotation for everything—it saves original thinking.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Quotations
Except ye become as little children, except you can wake on your fiftieth birthday with the same forward-looking excitement and interest in life that you enjoyed when you were five, “ye cannot enter the kingdom of God.” One must not only die daily, but every day we must be born again.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Birthdays, Age
The great advantage about telling the truth is that nobody ever believes it.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Truth
Lawyers enjoy a little mystery, you know. Why, if everybody came forward and told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth straight out, we should all retire to the workhouse.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Lawyers, Law
A human being must have occupation, of he or she is not to become a nuisance to the world.
—Dorothy L. Sayers
Topics: Work
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- P. D. James British Novelist
- Agatha Christie British Novelist
- Raymond Chandler American Novelist
- Dodie Smith British Novelist
- Graham Greene British Novelist
- Margery Allingham British Author
- J. B. Priestley British Novelist, Playwright, Essayist
- William Shakespeare British Playwright
- T. S. Eliot American-born British Poet
- Doris Lessing British Novelist, Poet
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