“ Ask no questions, and you'll be told no lies. ”
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (1861). copy citation
| Author | Charles Dickens |
|---|---|
| Source | Great Expectations |
| Topic | lie question |
| Date | 1861 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1400/1400-h/1400-h.htm |
Context
“And they fired warning of him. And now it appears they're firing warning of another.»
«Who's firing?» said I.
«Drat that boy,» interposed my sister, frowning at me over her work, «what a questioner he is. Ask no questions, and you'll be told no lies.»
It was not very polite to herself, I thought, to imply that I should be told lies by her even if I did ask questions. But she never was polite unless there was company.
At this point Joe greatly augmented my curiosity by taking the utmost pains to open his mouth very wide, and to put it into the form of a word that looked to me like «sulks.»” source
«Who's firing?» said I.
«Drat that boy,» interposed my sister, frowning at me over her work, «what a questioner he is. Ask no questions, and you'll be told no lies.»
It was not very polite to herself, I thought, to imply that I should be told lies by her even if I did ask questions. But she never was polite unless there was company.
At this point Joe greatly augmented my curiosity by taking the utmost pains to open his mouth very wide, and to put it into the form of a word that looked to me like «sulks.»” source
Meaning and analysis
