Public opinion which, to be sure, can at times be helpful, must never for an instant swerve us from what we know in our heart we are trying to convey. For honesty is the great requisite of art. If we… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
That amenity which the French have developed into a great art . . . conversation. — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
“My parents took us to dinner but we came back early. Tomorrow was to be a day of days and we must get a… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
Tragedy can break the heart but not the dam of the tearducts while schmaltz can dissolve the most hardened sophisticate. — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
The reason for the scaffolding on the tower of Saint Germain-des-Près is that a rich American has purchased it and is having it crated… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
“To Mr. Blot, who went through life an unconscious example of the raison d'être of the British Empire, a shipwreck was merely one of… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
To cement a new friendship, especially between foreigners or persons of a different social world, a spark with which both were secretly charged must… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
The French have no such expression as 'killing time.' In their more philosophical vocabulary the term is 'passing time,' which means savoring all moments… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
Emily and I have now reached the time in life when not only do we lie about our ages, we forget what we've said… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
Women have a special corner of their hearts for sins they have never committed. — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
There are compensations for growing older. One is the realization that to be sporting isn't at all necessary. It is a great relief to… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
There is no English equivalent for the French word flâneur. Cassell's dictionary defines flâneur as a stroller, saunterer, drifter but none of these terms… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
Courtesy is fine and heaven knows we need more and more of it in a rude and frenetic world, but mechanized courtesy is as… — Cornelia Otis Skinner Copy Share Image
