In Aubrey Dillon-Malone's The Cynic's Dictionary (Prion, £9.99 in Uk) we have a finely tuned little compendium of wit and invective, ranging from the "sublimely subversive" to the "downright idiotic". It is ideal for dipping into, and the perfect repository for it might be the smallest room in the house. In this scatological context, it is surely apt to quote Sir John Barbirolli's opinion of modern music: "Three farts and a raspberry, orchestrated". Other verbal darts that caught my attention on a first browsing were Vincent Browne's exquisite play on the art of survival: "The ultimate revenge." Or Anthony Powell's meditation on growing old: "Like being increasingly penalised for a crime you haven't committed."
One wonders how many of these barbs were thrown off extempore, for there is a polished air of having been recollected in tranquillity about a lot of them. No matter. They will surely prove to be a great source of delight, especially to those of us who, in the past, have thought of the perfect riposte just that minute too late.