“Like so many irritating details of the Universe(which, come to think of it, is made up almost wholly of irritating details), the truth is much more complicated than could be adequately covered by a binary yes-or-no, good-or-bad, old-or-new summary.”

“the Female Once-Over--a process by which one woman creates a detailed profile of another woman based upon about a million subtle details of clothing, jewelry, makeup, and body type, and then decides how much of a social threat she might be. Men have a parallel process, but it's binary: Does he have beer? If yes, will he share with me?”

“Why do men so often filter out the detail when they tell personal stories Do they think it’s the way to draw out the universality Women know better. It’s detail unique detail which more truly does so providing points of divergence and comparison coincidence and dissonance throwing a slanting light on the idiopathic features of our own lives to bring out long weighty shadows of universal human meaning.”

“Susan smiled at me, giving Molly the Female Once-Over - a process by which one woman creates a detailed profile of another woman based upon about a million subtle details of clothing, jewelry, makeup, and body type, and then decides how much of a social threat she might be. Men have a parallel process, but it's binary: Does he have beer? If yes, will he share with me?”

“It is not irritating to be where one is. It is only irritating to think one would like to be somewhere else.”

“Good women don't reform bad men, they only irritate them.”