--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable…" description: "\"The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable; I was going to say indefensible.\" — Robert Baldwin Ross" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/robert-baldwin-ross-59001_alas_the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i_1432288.jpg" --- # The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable; I was going to… ![“The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable; I was going to say indefensible.” quote by Robert Baldwin Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/robert-baldwin-ross-59001_alas_the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i_1432288.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/robert-baldwin-ross-59001_alas_the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i_1432288.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/robert-baldwin-ross-59001_alas_the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i_1432288.jpg) > “The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable; I was going to say indefensible.” [Robert Baldwin Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Oxford style is elusive; attempts to describe it often become contradictory, highlighting its complexity. **In simple terms:** Oxford style is hard to define. Key Takeaway Accept ambiguity in refined social codes. Themes culture etiquette ambiguity identity social norms Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - formal events - academic settings - high‑society gatherings - writing about class Key Concepts literary critique historical context sociolinguistics Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek precise definitions? - Can some concepts remain intentionally vague? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can strip the charm of mystery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alas/) [Alas Indefinable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alas-indefinable-5103155/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Indefensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indefensible-416655/) [Indefinable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indefinable/) [Indefinable Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indefinable-going-5103157/) [Manner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manner/) [Oxford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxford/) [Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say/) [Say Indefensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-indefensible-5103156/) ## Related quotes > [“The truth about life is complicated, indefensible and embarrassing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-weinle/the-truth-about-life-is-complicated-indefensible-and-embarrassing/) [Alex Weinle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-weinle/) > [Property in land is as indefensible as property in man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-george/property-in-land-is-as-indefensible-as-property-in-man/) [Henry George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-george/) > [“I suspect that on some level, life is a matter of indefensible loyalties.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-slouka/i-suspect-that-on-some-level-life-is-a-matter-of-indefensible/) [Mark Slouka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-slouka/) > [War is indefensible on every grounds, military and economic and diplomatic and also on moral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-military-and-economic-and/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [I believe that the arts of a culture are terribly important and yet almost indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakin-matthews/i-believe-that-the-arts-of-a-culture-are-terribly-important-and-yet/) [Dakin Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakin-matthews/) > [Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen/every-journalist-who-is-not-too-stupid-or-too-full-of-himself-to-2/) [Clive Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen/) > [You can't defend the indefensible - anything you say sounds self-serving and hypocritical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anything-you-say-sounds-self/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Public school system status quo is indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/public-school-system-status-quo-is-indefensible/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“separation of church from mission is theologically indefensible. More”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesslie-newbigin/separation-of-church-from-mission-is-theologically-indefensible-more/) [Lesslie Newbigin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesslie-newbigin/) > [In our time political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-our-time-political-speech-and-writing-are-largely-the-defense-of-3/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [My personal opinion is that life begins at the point of conception, and abortion is morally indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/my-personal-opinion-is-that-life-begins-at-the-point-of-conception/) [Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/) > [Documentary makers use other people's lives as their raw material, and that is morally indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/documentary-makers-use-other-people-s-lives-as-their-raw-material-and/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I made a big mistake. It is indefensible and I am sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-made-a-big-mistake-it-is-indefensible-and-i-am-sorry/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The lines we draw that make us who we are are potent by virtue of being non-negotiable, and even, at some level, indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/the-lines-we-draw-that-make-us-who-we-are-are-potent-by-virtue-of/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [There is something in the Olympics, indefinable, springing from the soul, that must be preserved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-something-in-the-olympics-indefinable-springing-from-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Robert Baldwin Ross > [The law reports in newspapers contain perhaps the only real history of England that has any relation to truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/the-law-reports-in-newspapers-contain-perhaps-the-only-real-history/) [Robert Baldwin Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/) > [“There is often as much sincerity, labour, and thought in bad painting as in good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/there-is-often-as-much-sincerity-labour-and-thought-in-bad-painting/) [Robert Baldwin Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/) > [“Don't paint your own period; paint your own country, your own thoughts, your own personality; paint the thoughts and the aspirations of your contemporaries,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/don-t-paint-your-own-period-paint-your-own-country-your-own-thoughts/) [Robert Baldwin Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/) > [I never knew any painter worthy of the name who paid the smallest attention to what a critic says, even in conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/i-never-knew-any-painter-worthy-of-the-name-who-paid-the-smallest/) [Robert Baldwin Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/) [Explore all 5 Robert Baldwin Ross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/) ## More Alas quotes > [“Muchos de los ángeles de Dios no tienen alas...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/muchos-de-los-ngeles-de-dios-no-tienen-alas/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [We are all potentially such sick men. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-are-all-potentially-such-sick-men-the-sanest-and-best-of-us-are-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Alas, you don't need monsters for monstrous deeds to be accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/alas-you-don-t-need-monsters-for-monstrous-deeds-to-be-accomplished/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Time, time - that is our greatest master! Alas, like Ugolino, time devours its own children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-berlioz/time-time-that-is-our-greatest-master-alas-like-ugolino-time-devours/) [Hector Berlioz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-berlioz/) > [Removing prejudices is, alas! too often removing the boundary of a delightful near prospect in order to let in a shockingly extensive one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-fulke-greville/removing-prejudices-is-alas-too-often-removing-the-boundary-of-a/) [Sir Fulke Greville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-fulke-greville/) > [Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-pharcellus-church/yes-virginia-there-is-a-santa-claus-he-exists-as-certainly-as-love/) [Francis Pharcellus Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-pharcellus-church/) > [Alas, Postumus, the fleeting years slip by, nor will piety give any stay to wrinkles and pressing old age and untamable death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/alas-postumus-the-fleeting-years-slip-by-nor-will-piety-give-any-stay/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Sensible Catholics have for generations been ignoring the views on contraception held by reactionary old men in the Vatican, but alas, since it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/sensible-catholics-have-for-generations-been-ignoring-the-views-on/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [The flesh is sad, alas, and I have read all the books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-phane-mallarm/the-flesh-is-sad-alas-and-i-have-read-all-the-books/) [Stephane Mallarme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-phane-mallarm/) > [Alas! all music jars when the soul's out of tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/alas-all-music-jars-when-the-soul-s-out-of-tune/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [In spite of the honestest efforts to annihilate my I-ity, or merge it in what the world doubtless considers my better half, I still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-welsh-carlyle/in-spite-of-the-honestest-efforts-to-annihilate-my-i-ity-or-merge-it/) [Jane Welsh Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-welsh-carlyle/) > [The dumpling is indeed of more ancient institution, and of foreign origin; but alas, what were those dumplings? Nothing but a few lentils sodden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-arbuthnot/the-dumpling-is-indeed-of-more-ancient-institution-and-of-foreign/) [John Arbuthnot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-arbuthnot/) > [“World is so beautiful, but alas! There are so many assholes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/world-is-so-beautiful-but-alas-there-are-so-many-assholes/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Ideally a painter (and, generally, an artist) should not become conscious of his insights: without taking the detour through his reflective processes, and incomprehensibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/ideally-a-painter-and-generally-an-artist-should-not-become-conscious/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [Alas! we makeA ladder of our thoughts, where angels step,But sleep ourselves at the foot: our high resolvesLook down upon our slumbering acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-elizabeth-landon/alas-we-makea-ladder-of-our-thoughts-where-angels-step-but-sleep/) [Letitia Elizabeth Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-elizabeth-landon/) [Browse all 453 Alas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable; I was going to say indefensible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Baldwin Ross" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i-was-going-to-say-indefensible/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i-was-going-to-say-indefensible/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/robert-baldwin-ross-59001_alas_the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i_1432288.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/robert-baldwin-ross-59001_alas_the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i_1432288.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/robert-baldwin-ross-59001_alas_the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i_1432288.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable; I was going to say indefensible.” — Robert Baldwin Ross", "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": "Robert Baldwin Ross", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i-was-going-to-say-indefensible/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i-was-going-to-say-indefensible/#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 } } ] } ```