On the analogy of 'Dictionary Johnson,' we call Fred R. Shapiro, editor of the just-published Yale Book of Quotations (well worth the $50 price), 'Quotationeer Shapiro.' Shapiro does original research, earning his 1,067-page volume a place on the quotation shelf next to Bartlett's and Oxford's.

By elevating your reading, you will improve your writing or at least tickle your thinking.

The wonderful thing about being a New York Times columnist is that it's like a Supreme Court appointment - they're stuck with you for a long time.

You don't want lopsided government. You don't want one side running roughshod over the other.

The most successful column is one that causes the reader to throw down the paper in a peak of fit.

A dependent clause is like a dependent child: incapable of standing on its own but able to cause a lot of trouble.

Of higher value than any one leader is the cause.