Quotes: Curiosity. Curse. Custom. Cynic.

The idea in bold-face print is a summary of the quote. The number after the topic is the page on which the quote was found.

Curiosity
Curiosity 229 "Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will." James Stephens. 1912. Gross, ed. Oxford Book of Aphorisms.

Curiosity 250 Curiosity is a sign of intelligence. "Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect." Sam. Johnson. 1750-2. Gross, ed. Oxford Book of Aphorisms.

Curse
Curse 295 "…the devil salt and pickle his guts!" Rölvaag, Giants in the Earth.

Curse 156 "That goddam, red-faced, big-cheeked, curly headed, buck-toothed rat bastard son of a bitch!" Heller, Catch-22.

Curse 156 "That dirty goddam midget-assed, apple-cheeked, goggle-eyed, undersized, buck-toothed, grinning, crazy sonofabitchinbastard!" Heller, Catch-22.

Custom
Custom 851 A skeleton at every Egyptian feast. "…the fantasy of the old Egyptians, who seated a skeleton at every festive board, and mocked their own merriment with the imperturbable grin of a death’s head." Hawthorne: “The Christmas Banquet”

Custom 165 "The power of custom is most weighty." Publius Syrus. Latin. Dictionary of Foreign Terms

Cynic
Cynic 74 "A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin." H. L. Mencken. Portable Curmudgeon.

Cynic 74 "Cynic: A blackguard [who]… sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." Ambrose Bierce. Portable Curmudgeon.

Cynic 75 "What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." Oscar Wilde. Portable Curmudgeon.

Cynic 75 "Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth." Lillian Hellman. Portable Curmudgeon.

Cynics 317 "Those who despise mankind believe themselves great men." Vauvenargues. 1746. Gross, ed. Oxford Book of Aphorisms.