Giving other people advice is one of the most irritating and useless activities known to man.
BARBARA MERTZSince I am not as stupid as my children believe I am, I had immediately realized this might be a ruse, but I was not at all averse to a confrontation. In fact, I had been hoping for some such thing.
More Barbara Mertz Quotes
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kissing someone out of pity is always a mistake.
BARBARA MERTZ -
When one is striding bravely into the future one cannot watch one’s footing.
BARBARA MERTZ -
I do hope you have some money. I’m getting tired of hitting people.
BARBARA MERTZ -
Your trousers are on fire. I would have told you, but you so dislike advice.
BARBARA MERTZ -
I disapprove of matrimony as a matter of principle…. Why should any independent, intelligent female choose to subject herself to the whims and tyrannies of a husband? I assure you, I have yet to meet a man as sensible as myself! (Amelia Peabody)
BARBARA MERTZ -
Is is difficult to be angry with a gentleman who pays you compliments, even impertinent compliments. Especially impertinent compliments.
BARBARA MERTZ -
It’s not unsporting to thrash a cowardly cad,’ said Simmons. ‘Everyone knows you don’t fight like a gentleman.’ ‘That might be called an oxymoron,’ Ramses said. ‘Oh–sorry. Bad form to use long words. Look it up when you get home.’ The poor devil didn’t know how to fight, like a gentleman or otherwise.
BARBARA MERTZ -
In the silence I heard Bastet, who had retreated under the bed, carrying on a mumbling, profane monologue. (If you ask how I knew it was profane, I presume you have never owned a cat.)
BARBARA MERTZ -
Superstition has its practical uses.
BARBARA MERTZ -
I am so tired of ruggedly handsome heroes. I don’t know too many ruggedly handsome people who are necessarily nice people. In fact, the beautiful people have a big handicap because they rely too much on their appearance and don’t bother to become interesting.
BARBARA MERTZ -
It is easier to counterfeit old age than youth.
BARBARA MERTZ -
It may take us a little longer to reach the summit, but never fear, we will get there!
BARBARA MERTZ -
Getting an idea for a book is not the problem, but you need 300 ideas – an idea a page.
BARBARA MERTZ -
People who relate what they believe to be new and startling information like to have such information received with exclamations of astonishment and admiration.
BARBARA MERTZ -
Ramses had always been fond of Helen, in his peculiar fashion, but if he had looked at me as he was looking at her, I would have sent for a constable.
BARBARA MERTZ -
There is nothing sadder than the cheerful letters of the dead, expressing hopes that were never fulfilled, ambitions that were never achieved, dreams cut off before they could come to fruition.
BARBARA MERTZ -
That’s maturity-when you realize that you’ve finally arrived at a state of ignorance as profound as your parents.
BARBARA MERTZ -
The only way to do it is to do it: by writing, writing, writing.
BARBARA MERTZ -
I never meant to marry. In my opinion, a woman born in the last half of the nineteenth century of the Christian era suffered from enough disadvantages without willfully embracing another.
BARBARA MERTZ -
Conventional history completely ignores half the human race.
BARBARA MERTZ -
I do not scruple to employ mendacity and a fictitious appearance of female incompetence when the occasion demands it.
BARBARA MERTZ -
He hesitated for a moment. Then he said softly, “I love you, Mother.” He took my hand and kissed it, and folded my fingers round the stem of the rose. He had stripped it of its thorns.
BARBARA MERTZ -
But the dust! And the clutter! My housewifely and scholarly instincts were equally offended.
BARBARA MERTZ -
I would never have supposed that inexperienced girl was capable of such cold-blooded, calculating manipulation!
BARBARA MERTZ -
Spring is always cruel, with its false promise of resurrection.
BARBARA MERTZ -
Nothing looks as self-satisfied as a contented cat.
BARBARA MERTZ