“A conversation isn’t a competition.”

Parents of young children should realize that few people, and maybe no one, will find their children as enchanting as they do.

A great many people think that polysyllables are a sign of intelligence and refinement so they think they will impress others with their command of obscure words.

I can get a better grasp of what is going on in the world from one good Washington dinner party than from all the background information NBC piles on my desk.

Deep breaths are very helpful at shallow parties.

when your child is in trouble, the first thing you do is blame yourself.

The origin of a modern party is anthropological: humans meet and share food to lower hostility between them and indicate friendship.

Before we had airplanes and astronauts, we really thought that there was an actual place beyond the clouds, somewhere over the rainbow. There was an actual place, and we could go above the clouds and find it.there.

I also found that for myself, since I’ve had no religious education, it was so interesting to see the different versions of heaven and what life on earth means.

Most of us have trouble juggling. The woman who says she doesn’t is someone whom I admire but have never met.

Most attractive males talk to most attractive women as if they were Rotarians comparing sales percentages in Des Moines.

Small children do not belong at an adult party, and especially should not be used like trained midgets to help serve martinis.

The news media in general are liberals.

Just do your job. Get in early. Stay late, and don’t complain. Fight the big fights.

New York is a galaxy of adventure at once elegant, exciting and bizarre. It’s a city that moves so fast, it takes energy just to stand still.

Large cocktail parties are an infamous technique for ridding yourself of social obligations to people you usually don’t know well or like much, which is such an unpromising beginning that I’ve rarely known one that recovered and turned into a great party.

The way you dress is the billboard that tells perceptive people how you feel about yourself.