I've always worn my English nerdery on my sleeve: after all, anyone who speaks with me for more than forty-five seconds will begin to suspect anyway.
But at work, this sometimes causes people to shake their heads--when I start discoursing to them about what I'm reading (the pun book, so far, is intriguing and fascinating!) to when I defend fiction (really, people, you can learn things from novels...I swear it!!!) to when I start talking about the nebulous definition of a word like "classic" (after all, it seems odd to be able to label things "modern-day classics" when usually the idea is that the classics have stood the test of time--almost as though you're making a pre-emptive decision that says to a book: "YOU WILL LAST FOREVER IN A MEANINGFUL AND VERY PUBLIC FASHION").
By far though, the best chuckle I think I've solicited from someone at work is after (on more than one occasion) he had been questioned why we were doing something, and he said: "Ours is not to question why." I grant that it's possible I physically cringed, or twitched at the very least, and almost begged that he not quote that particular line...
...because in "Charge of the Light Brigade," it's promptly followed by "Ours is but to do and die." (Not "or" die, mind you. "And" die.)
Since I value my life, I'll continue to question why.
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4 comments:
that's funny. books have great quote lines, but you gotta be careful! I love quoting Psych. but not too many people get that. you would!
Best literary quote this week? The Stake President quoting Machiavelli during stake conference--and not in ironic way.
ALSO, it is:
"Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die"
Not 'Ours'.
Russian AND British history!! What's not to love?
The exact pronoun isn't the point, douche.
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