“"I don't believe this!" Peter said. "Why is it respectable not to know how to do things? Is it respectable to light a fire with a bar of soap?"
"That," Charmain said haughtily, "was an accident."”

Source: Castle Series, House of Many Ways (2008), p. 109.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote ""I don't believe this!" Peter said. "Why is it respectable not to know how to do things? Is it respectable to light a f…" by Diana Wynne Jones?

Diana Wynne Jones137

English children's fantasy writer 1934–2011

Related quotes

“She glanced at him. “What gods do you respect?”
“None.”
“And why not?”
“I help myself,” he said.”

Octavia E. Butler Wild Seed

Source: Wild Seed (1980), Chapter 1 (p. 20)

“"How much do you know?" she said. "Do you know that dreams are illusion?"
"Of course I do," I said. "Every one knows that."
"Oh no they don't," she said, "the mad don't know it."
"That is true," I said.
"And do you know," she said, "that Life is illusion?"”

Lord Dunsany (1878–1957) Irish writer and dramatist

Tales of Three Hemispheres http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/1/4/4/11440/11440-8.txt, A Shop In Go-By Street

“She said, why don't we both just sleep on it tonight
And I believe, in the morning you'll begin to see the light”

Paul Simon (1941) American musician, songwriter and producer

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
Song lyrics, Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)
Context: She said, why don't we both just sleep on it tonight
And I believe, in the morning you'll begin to see the light
And then she kissed me and I realized she probably was right
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover, fifty ways to leave your lover

“I don't believe in fate," she said at last. "But I do believe in… loopholes. I think a lot of what keeps the world going is the result of accidents — happy or otherwise — and taking advantage of these.”

Robin McKinley book Sunshine

Source: Sunshine

“Will interrupted. "Henry," he said, "you're on fire. You do know that, don't you?”

Cassandra Clare book Clockwork Angel

Source: Clockwork Angel

“Then there are three or four countries that have said they won't do anything. I believe Libya, Cuba and Germany are ones that have indicated they won't help in any respect.”

Donald Rumsfeld (1932) U.S. Secretary of Defense

"Threats And Responses: Germany; Rumsfeld Faces Tense Greeting and Antiwar Rallies in Munich" by Thom Shanker, in The New York Times (8 February 2003) http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/08/world/threats-responses-germany-rumsfeld-faces-tense-greeting-antiwar-rallies-munich.html <br class="br">2000s