“Overstatement, too, plays a considerable part in English social life. This takes mostly the form of someone remarking: ‘I say…’ and then keeping silent for three days on end.” — George Mikes Copy Share Image
THE British are brave people. They can face anything, except reality. — George Mikes Copy Share Image
The British suffer from a most unfortunate superiority complex - unjustified even under Victoria and most certainly hopelessly out-of-date today. — George Mikes Copy Share Image
Remember that those five hundred words an average Englishman uses are far from being the whole vocabulary of the language. You may learn another… — George Mikes Copy Share Image
English humor resembles the Loch Ness Monster in that both are famous but there is a strong suspicion that neither exists. — George Mikes Copy Share Image
“Before you are admitted to British citizenship you are not even considered a natural human being. I looked up the word natural (na’tural) in the Pocket Oxford Dictionary (p. 251); it says: Of or according to or provided by nature, physically existing, innate, instinctive, normal, not miraculous or spiritual or artificial or conventional… Note that before you obtain British citizenship,… — George Mikes Copy Share
“In the last century, when a wicked and unworthy subject annoyed the Sultan of Turkey or the Czar of Russia, he had his head… — George Mikes Copy Share Image
“While all this goes on, the English remain staunch believers in equality. Equality is a notion the English have given to humanity. Equality means… — George Mikes Copy Share Image
I asked many friends if Australian anti-intellectualism was still a living force and they all told me it was. If you are above average… — George Mikes Copy Share Image
“Mr S. got angry. ‘Yes, I do have a son. He’s a good-for-nothing. A dead loss.’ I couldn’t ask which prison he was in,… — George Mikes Copy Share Image
“I have been told that my above-described theory is all wrong and is only due to my Central European conceit, because the English do not care for the opinion of foreigners. In every other country, it has been explained, people just build streets and towns following their own common sense. England is the only country of the world where there… — George Mikes Copy Share
Rich people (in Australia) have swimming pools in their gardens but, at least, they do swim in them. — George Mikes Copy Share Image
