--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That amenity which the French have…" description: "\"That amenity which the French have developed into a great art . . . conversation.\" — Cornelia Otis Skinner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd9/cornelia-otis-skinner-23777_amenities_that-amenity-which-the-french-have-devel_2812753.jpg" --- # That amenity which the French have developed into a great… ![“That amenity which the French have developed into a great art . . . conversation.” quote by Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd9/cornelia-otis-skinner-23777_amenities_that-amenity-which-the-french-have-devel_2812753.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd9/cornelia-otis-skinner-23777_amenities_that-amenity-which-the-french-have-devel_2812753.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd9/cornelia-otis-skinner-23777_amenities_that-amenity-which-the-french-have-devel_2812753.jpg) > “That amenity which the French have developed into a great art . . . conversation.” [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The French have turned conversation into an elegant, refined art form. **In simple terms:** French conversation is a polished art. Key Takeaway Practice thoughtful, articulate dialogue. Themes communication culture etiquette language Mood elegant thoughtful Type cultural observational When to use this quote - dinner parties - networking events - language learning Key Concepts sociolinguistics rhetoric cultural identity Questions to Reflect On - What makes a conversation feel like art? - How can we improve our own dialogue skills? A Different Perspective Not all cultures value conversation similarly; some prioritize action over talk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amenities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amenities/) [Amenity French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amenity-french-3531163/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-conversation-406226/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [French Developed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/french-developed-3531164/) [Great art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-art/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [Silence is one great art of conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/silence-is-one-great-art-of-conversation/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [“The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place but, far more difficult still, to leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-nevill/the-real-art-of-conversation-is-not-only-to-say-the-right-thing-in/) [Dorothy Nevill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-nevill/) > [There may be an art to conversation, and some are better at it than others, but conversation's virtue lies in randomness and possibility: people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/there-may-be-an-art-to-conversation-and-some-are-better-at-it-than/) [Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/) > [Conversation in its happiest development is a link, equally exquisite and adequate, between mind and mind, a system by which men approach one another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/conversation-in-its-happiest-development-is-a-link-equally-exquisite/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [The art of conversation, or the qualification for a good companion, is a certain self-control, which now holds the subject, now lets it go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-art-of-conversation-or-the-qualification-for-a-good-companion-is/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“(Query: Is it possible to cultivate the art of conversation when living in the country all the year round?)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-delafield-2/query-is-it-possible-to-cultivate-the-art-of-conversation-when-living/) [E.M. Delafield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-delafield-2/) > [I think a lot of people are involved in art because of the fashion of art and the conversation. It gives them a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-graff/i-think-a-lot-of-people-are-involved-in-art-because-of-the-fashion-of/) [Laurence Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-graff/) > [I'm a talker, and the art of the conversation is something I really value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robby-hoffman/i-m-a-talker-and-the-art-of-the-conversation-is-something-i-really/) [Robby Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robby-hoffman/) > [Art history is fine. I mean, that's a discipline. Art history is art history, and you start from the beginning and you end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/art-history-is-fine-i-mean-that-s-a-discipline-art-history-is-art/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [The art of conversation lies in listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/the-art-of-conversation-lies-in-listening/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Everything is inspiring! It could be fine art or a conversation I have with somebody!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi/everything-is-inspiring-it-could-be-fine-art-or-a-conversation-i-have/) [Hiromi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi/) > [“If you should attempt to maintain that film is an art in conversation with a cultured, intelligent American, he'll just plain stop talking to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-ilf/if-you-should-attempt-to-maintain-that-film-is-an-art-in-conversation/) [Ilya Ilf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-ilf/) > [She had lost the art of conversation but not, unfortunately, the power of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/she-had-lost-the-art-of-conversation-but-not-unfortunately-the-power/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Art is a conversation we are all invited to and are all worthy to participate in. Yes, great works can be intimidating, but no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hartman/art-is-a-conversation-we-are-all-invited-to-and-are-all-worthy-to/) [Rachel Hartman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hartman/) > [Our obsession with material things and lack of self-worth is evident in our need for an abundance of momentary luxuries and must-have amenities that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-i/our-obsession-with-material-things-and-lack-of-self-worth-is-evident/) [T.I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-i/) ## More by Cornelia Otis Skinner > [“My parents took us to dinner but we came back early. Tomorrow was to be a day of days and we must get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/my-parents-took-us-to-dinner-but-we-came-back-early-tomorrow-was-to/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [Tragedy can break the heart but not the dam of the tearducts while schmaltz can dissolve the most hardened sophisticate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/tragedy-can-break-the-heart-but-not-the-dam-of-the-tearducts-while/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/the-reason-for-the-scaffolding-on-the-tower-of-saint-germain-des-pr-s/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/to-mr-blot-who-went-through-life-an-unconscious-example-of-the-raison/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [To cement a new friendship, especially between foreigners or persons of a different social world, a spark with which both were secretly charged must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/to-cement-a-new-friendship-especially-between-foreigners-or-persons/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [The French have no such expression as 'killing time.' In their more philosophical vocabulary the term is 'passing time,' which means savoring all moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/the-french-have-no-such-expression-as-killing-time-in-their-more/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/emily-and-i-have-now-reached-the-time-in-life-when-not-only-do-we-lie/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [Women have a special corner of their hearts for sins they have never committed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/women-have-a-special-corner-of-their-hearts-for-sins-they-have-never/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/there-are-compensations-for-growing-older-one-is-the-realization-that/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/there-is-no-english-equivalent-for-the-french-word-fl-neur-cassell-s/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [Courtesy is fine and heaven knows we need more and more of it in a rude and frenetic world, but mechanized courtesy is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/courtesy-is-fine-and-heaven-knows-we-need-more-and-more-of-it-in-a/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [Is man's greatest invention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/is-man-s-greatest-invention/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [All I have learned about horses is that they are beautiful overrated creatures and are all born quite insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/all-i-have-learned-about-horses-is-that-they-are-beautiful-overrated/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [Public opinion which, to be sure, can at times be helpful, must never for an instant swerve us from what we know in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/public-opinion-which-to-be-sure-can-at-times-be-helpful-must-never/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) > [Woman's virtue is man's greatest invention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/woman-s-virtue-is-man-s-greatest-invention/) [Cornelia Otis Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) [Explore all 25 Cornelia Otis Skinner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/) ## More Amenities quotes > [Our obsession with material things and lack of self-worth is evident in our need for an abundance of momentary luxuries and must-have amenities that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-i/our-obsession-with-material-things-and-lack-of-self-worth-is-evident/) [T.I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-i/) > [Criticism even should not be without its charms. When quite devoid of all amenities, it is no longer literary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/criticism-even-should-not-be-without-its-charms-when-quite-devoid-of/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [Conversation in its happiest development is a link, equally exquisite and adequate, between mind and mind, a system by which men approach one another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/conversation-in-its-happiest-development-is-a-link-equally-exquisite/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [No discovery of mine has made, or is likely to make, directly or indirectly, for good or ill, the least difference to the amenity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/no-discovery-of-mine-has-made-or-is-likely-to-make-directly-or/) [G. H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy/) > [The definitions of humanism are many, but let us here take it to be the attitude of those men who think it an advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/the-definitions-of-humanism-are-many-but-let-us-here-take-it-to-be/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [A State divided into a small number of rich and a large number of poor will always develop a government manipulated by the rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-laski/a-state-divided-into-a-small-number-of-rich-and-a-large-number-of/) [Harold Laski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-laski/) > [... if a person is to be unconventional, he must be amusing or he is intolerable: for, in the nature of the case, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-fullerton-gerould/if-a-person-is-to-be-unconventional-he-must-be-amusing-or-he-is/) [Katharine Fullerton Gerould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-fullerton-gerould/) > [Mammoth is an incredible community and world-class attraction, ... Were committed to creating a vibrant living experience that matches the natural, majestic beauty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/puff-daddy/mammoth-is-an-incredible-community-and-world-class-attraction-were/) [Puff Daddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/puff-daddy/) > [Low income is related to poorer housing, poorer diet, fewer social amenities, worse working conditions. (...) After adjustment for age, sex, race, smoking, alcohol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-marmot/low-income-is-related-to-poorer-housing-poorer-diet-fewer-social/) [Michael Marmot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-marmot/) > [The ergometer simulates the physical demands of rowing, packaging the pains with none of the amenities that make it worthwhile ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-kieszling/the-ergometer-simulates-the-physical-demands-of-rowing-packaging-the/) [Stefan Kieszling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-kieszling/) > [The real potential of electricity lies not in providing social amenities but in stimulating long-term economic development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-flavin/the-real-potential-of-electricity-lies-not-in-providing-social/) [Christopher Flavin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-flavin/) > [People talk about wanting amenities - downtown is the amenity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/people-talk-about-wanting-amenities-downtown-is-the-amenity/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [How many roads must a developer walk down, before they accept the amenities package?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/how-many-roads-must-a-developer-walk-down-before-they-accept-the/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [There has never been just 'coach class' health care, but with these amenities you are seeing people get priorities according to your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-caplan/there-has-never-been-just-coach-class-health-care-but-with-these/) [Arthur Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-caplan/) > [I always say if the house I live in is comfortable, and I have all the amenities I need, then what more can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-allen/i-always-say-if-the-house-i-live-in-is-comfortable-and-i-have-all-the/) [Ray Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-allen/) [Browse all 41 Amenities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amenities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That amenity which the French have developed into a great art . . . conversation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cornelia Otis Skinner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/that-amenity-which-the-french-have-developed-into-a-great-art/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amenities" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/that-amenity-which-the-french-have-developed-into-a-great-art/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd9/cornelia-otis-skinner-23777_amenities_that-amenity-which-the-french-have-devel_2812753.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd9/cornelia-otis-skinner-23777_amenities_that-amenity-which-the-french-have-devel_2812753.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd9/cornelia-otis-skinner-23777_amenities_that-amenity-which-the-french-have-devel_2812753.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That amenity which the French have developed into a great art . . . conversation.” — Cornelia Otis Skinner", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cornelia Otis Skinner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-otis-skinner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That amenity which the French have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/that-amenity-which-the-french-have-developed-into-a-great-art/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-otis-skinner/that-amenity-which-the-french-have-developed-into-a-great-art/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```