Regarding a Bible Ukrainian Christians had secretly copied by hand under Communism, “Would similar risks have been taken and similar loving care have been expended on copying out, say, Magna Carta if for some reason it had become unobtainable? Or the American Declaration of Independence? Or the Communist Manifesto? Or Lady Chatterley’s Lover? Or The Thoughts of Chairman Mao? Or, descending to what Dr Johnson called unresisting imbecility – the recently acclaimed Helsinki Declaration?”

Malcolm Muggeridge in a 1976 speech in Ian Hunter, ed., The Very Best of Malcolm Muggeridge

“‘What is it that I don’t know?’ Sir Humphrey feigned ignorance. ‘Minister,’ he said, ‘I don’t know what you don’t know. It could be almost anything.’”

A Jim Hacker diary entry in Yes Minister Vol. I

“How do you do, Miss West?"

Mae West: "How do you do what?”

Harmik Vaishnav, Dictionary of Humorous Quotations

In my latest National Post column I object to the hypocrisy of press releases in which staff falsely claim their politician boss is deeply engaged with some day of this or festival of that whose details they had to Google after an automated reminder to pander over it popped up..

“Awe-full life”

Recommended, especially in old age, by Paul Pearsall in The Last Self-Help Book You’ll Ever Need: Repress your anger, think negatively, be a good blamer, & throttle your inner child.

“Gambling is a tax for people who can’t do math.”

Variously attributed in various forms, sometimes singling out lotteries.

“He who limps is still walking.”

Stanislaw J. Lec, quoted on www.goodreads.com/quotes/632606-he-who-limps-is-still-walking

“I don’t know what to say.”

James Rockford in “The Rockford Files”, on being presented over his protests with a cheque for his work from some fabulously rich woman only to find it’s for $125 (the episode aired A&E Nov. 11, 1995) (another example of fake praise from my “He’s an extraordinary man” files)