The British... used to regard foreigners as either a comic turn or a sexual menace. To learn a European language... was, at best, to seek to acquire a sort of girls'-finishing-school ornament, at worst, to capitulate feebly to the enemy.


A Mouthful of Air: Language and Languages, Especially English (1992)

Anthony Burgess Quotes

The British... used to regard foreigners as either a comic turn or a sexual menace. To learn a European language... was, at best, to seek to acquire...

The British... used to regard foreigners as either a comic turn or a sexual menace. To learn a European language... was, at best, to seek to acquire...

The British... used to regard foreigners as either a comic turn or a sexual menace. To learn a European language... was, at best, to seek to acquire...

The British... used to regard foreigners as either a comic turn or a sexual menace. To learn a European language... was, at best, to seek to acquire...