—In order to pin out lace in a thoroughly satisfactory manner, you should provide yourself with a wooden drum, about 30 c/m. high and from 50 to 60 c/m. in diameter, large enough to rest upon the knees.
— from Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont

“I met the Station Master yesterday,” said Peter, in an offhand way, and he pretended not to hear what Phyllis had said; “he expresspecially invited us to go down any time we liked.”
— from The Railway Children by E. (Edith) Nesbit

How mean you, sir, pass upon me? Bob.
— from Every Man in His Humor by Ben Jonson

Now, Charlie the 3 months on the square are up 2 months ago, & as you said, it is the best job i ever did in my life, & i commenced another of the same sort right away, only it is to God helping me to last a lifetime Charlie—i wrote this letter to tell you I do think God has forgiven my sins & herd your prayers, for you told me you should pray for me—
— from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

Many years since people used to visit Thames Street to hear the Billingsgate fishwomen abuse each other.
— from The Slang Dictionary: Etymological, Historical and Andecdotal by John Camden Hotten

“What were you doing this morning, papa, to make yourself so poorly this evening that you have to stop in bed?” “Nothing.”
— from Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac

Must I marry your sister? POINS.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

“You must have gained many pounds, and it makes you so pretty, and what a pretty dress you are wearing.”
— from The Motor Maids by Rose, Shamrock and Thistle by Katherine Stokes

Nay, but hear me; Your sense pursues not mine; either you are ignorant Or seem so, craftily; and that's not good.
— from Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare

And, to speak truth, I was astounded at myself; I knew perfectly well that I was in all probability only adding fuel to the flame which would ultimately consume me, yet some perverse influence altogether beyond my control seemed to urge me to speak as I did, whether I would or no.
— from A Middy of the King: A Romance of the Old British Navy by Harry Collingwood

I have here before me an information sworn to that effect, and if you will place your names as witnesses to it, I will not only pardon the indiscretion of which you have been guilty, but will do all in my power to make your stay pleasant.
— from Jack Archer: A Tale of the Crimea by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

Honorius is to be a doctor, like papa, and I'm to be a soldier, and Willie is to be a clergyman, and Duncan a sailor, and Seymour a merchant, and Archie a lawyer, and Georgie—somehow we never can settle what Georgie is to be—but something, of course, you know; and then you will have us all, mamma, your seven sons, "seven Campbells," as Willie has taken a fit for saying, and we shall make you so proud of us!'
— from Holiday Tales by Florence Wilford

BOSWELL. 'Pray, Sir, could you have no redress if you were to prosecute a publisher for bringing out, under your name, what you never said, and ascribing to you dull stupid nonsense, or making you swear profanely, as many ignorant relaters of your bon-mots do?'
— from Boswell's Life of Johnson Abridged and edited, with an introduction by Charles Grosvenor Osgood by James Boswell

"What makes you so positive of that?"
— from The Winning Clue by James Hay

"Why Alice, what makes you say 'poor Merle?'
— from Professor Huskins by Lettie M. Cummings

What makes you so positive about that?
— from Warren Commission (14 of 26): Hearings Vol. XIV (of 15) by United States. Warren Commission