Etiquette & Espionage Quotes

“It's no good choosing your first husband from a school for evil geniuses. Much too difficult to kill.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“He ... boasted an unassuming mustache, which was perched atop his upper lip cautiously, as though it were slightly embarrassed to be there and would like to slide away and become a sideburn or something more fashionable.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Isn't Bunson's training evil geniuses?"
"Yes, mostly."
"Well, is that wise? Having a mess of seedling evil geniuses falling in love with you willy-nilly? What if they feel spurned?"

"Ah, but in the interim, think of the lovely gifts they can make you. Monique bragged that one of her boys made her silver and wood hair sticks as anti-supernatural weapons. With amethyst inlay. And another made her an exploding wicker chicken."
"Goodness, what's that for?"

Dimity pursed her lips. "Who doesn't want an exploding wicker chicken?”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“What’s that?” she asked the girl, wrinkling her nose.

“Oh, that? That’s just Pillover.”

“And what’s a pillover, when it’s at home?”

“My little brother.”

“Ah, I commiserate. I have several of my own. Dashed inconvenient, brothers.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“If there is gossip to be garnered, garner it. If there are new dress styles to be imitated, imitate them. If there are hearts to be broken, break them.
That's my girls.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“I do not giggle without purpose. Lady Linette says you should never misapply a giggle.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“She had to give her teachers credit: they were right to insist all pupils carry scissors, handkerchiefs, perfume and hair ribbons at all times. At some point she'd learn why they also required a red lace doily and a lemon.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“But I don't want to be a vampire drone.' Sophronia winced. 'They'll suck my blood and make me wear only the very latest fashions.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“It'll all end in tears and oil.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“The bowl landed, in glorious perfection, atop the head of Mrs Barnaclegoose, who was not the kind of woman to appreciate the finer points of being crowned by trifle.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Really, Sophronia, it makes me most uncomfortable how you manage to sort everything out every time I faint.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Quietly Sophronia added, "And the soot on my dress, sir?"
"I didn't see anything." Professor Braithwope smiled down at her, showing a small hint of fang.
Sophronia grinned back. "I'm glad we understand each other, sir."
The vampire looked out into the night. "This is the right finishing school for you, isn't it, whot?"
"Yes sir, I think it might very well be."
"A piece of advice, Miss Temminnick?"
"Sir?"
"It is a great skill to have friends in low places. They, too, have things to teach you."
"Now, sir, I thought you didn't see any soot.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“But we were talking about me and my problems."

Sophronia looked Monique up and down gravely.

"I don't think we're going to solve those in the space of one carriage ride.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“How have I never noticed she only required praise to find me acceptable? wondered Sophronia, not quite realizing that this, too, was a mark of her new education. Many was the lady whose belief in another's sound judgment was based solely upon that other judging her favorably.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“How often have I warned you against fraternizing with technology?”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Her hair was wild, her eyes were flashing, and her tattered underskirts floated around her. She looked like a glorious avenging goddess from some ancient erotic myth.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“No one said learning etiquette and espionage would be easy, my dear.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Who doesn’t want an exploding wicker chicken?”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“What on earth could we girls possibly learn from a werewolf?" Sophronia wondered.
"How to keep a hat on no matter what the circumstances?" hazarded Dimity.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Captain Niall, having apparently resigned himself to losing his quarry, was savaging her horsehair petticoat into teeny, tiny shreds.
"Really, what did my poor petticoat do to offend?”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“His eyes were jet-colored circles of perpetual disapproval.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Coming to the ball, Mr. Plumleigh-Teignmott?”
“Ball? If you insist.” Pillover slid off his trunk, and Roger jumped down to help him load it into the cart.
“Ball?” said one of the Pistons with interest. “We like balls.”
Dimity gave them her best, most haughty look. “Yes, but are you certain they like you?”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“The boy gestured with his chin at Dimity. “She was shot.” He sounded remarkably unconcerned for a brother with any degree of affection for his sibling.“Good lord!” Sophronia climbed in to see to her new friend’s health. The bullet had grazed Dimity’s shoulder. It had ripped her dress and left a partly burned gash behind, but didn’t look all that bad. Sophronia checked to make certain Dimity had no other injuries. Then she sat back on her heels.“Is that all? I’ve had worse scrapes from drinking tea. Why has she come over all crumpled?”Pillover rolled his eyes. “Faints at the sight of blood, our Dimity. Always has. Weak nerves,father says. It doesn’t even have to be her blood.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“This is madness. Oh, well.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Mummy and Daddy want him to be an evil genius, but he has his heart set on Latin verse. Don’t you, Pill?” The boy gave his sister a nasty stare. “Pillover is terribly bad at being bad, if you take my meaning. Our daddy is a founding member of the Death Weasel Confederacy, and Mummy is a kitchen chemist with questionable intent, but poor Pillover can’t even bring himself to murder ants with his Depraved Lens of Crispy Magnification. Can you, Pill?”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Very well, Miss Temminnick. Tell me a little about yourself. Are you well-educated?” Sophronia considered this question seriously. “I don’t believe so.” “Excellent. Ignorance is most undervalued in a student. And have you killed anyone recently?” Sophronia blinked. “Pardon?” “Oh, you know, a knife to the neck, or perhaps a cleverly noosed cravat?” Sophronia said only, “Not my preferred diversion.” “Oh, dear, how disappointing. Well, don’t you fret. We shall soon find you some useful hobby.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Petunia Temminnick’s coming-out ball was pronounced a resounding success by all in attendance. There had been highly intoxicating punch, a variety of dances, good music, and intermission entertainment. No one knew why the beautiful Miss Pelouse had stripped, rolled about in the garden, and then chucked a cheese pie at the youngest Temminnick girl before being taken away in floods of tears, but it was surely the highlight of a most enjoyable evening.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Dimity pursed her lips. “Who doesn’t want an exploding wicker chicken?”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“Bumbersnoot,”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

“What Sophronia did not know, and had yet to learn to control, was that her smile was rather more powerful than most. The face she saw in the mirror each morning was passingly pretty, if not terribly thrilling, but when she smiled with the full force of her personality behind it, she came over vibrant and striking. It was one of the reasons Monique disliked her so.”
― Gail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage