“I quite agree with you, sir, but what can two do against so many?”
— George Bernard Shaw, 1894. Arms and the Man opened on April 21, and when the curtain fell, there were unanimous cheers. Shaw came out to bow, and one man booed. This was Shaw’s response
Such a perfect response. I am jealous of that kind of quick-witted mind.
The British seemed to make it a point of pride to have a witty verbal riposte always on hand. I have a small book of them, and it’s almost exclusively politicians and other public figures sniping. An appropriate example, perhaps apocryphal –
Shaw sent two tickets for the debut one of his plays (the book doesn’t say which) to Winston Churchill with the note, “Bring a friend, if you have one.” Churchill flipped the note over and wrote back, “Sorry. Engaged this evening. Kindly send tickets for the second night, if you have one.”