Most of Oscar Wilde's famous bons mots, excellent though they are, were actually 'spoken' by his fictional characters so there was no spontaneity about them.
I've heard of at least two which, if true, were genuine acts of brilliant wit, spoken by the man himself (although with a caveat attached to the first one):
On a tour of America he boasted every night before his live audience that he could speak for two hours on any subject with no notes or preparation, and invited audience members to shout out potential subjects.
One night someone shouted out "The Queen!" After a moment's reflection Wilde replied: "The Queen is not a subject."
(But of course that person could have been a stooge. I like to think not, though.)
The other one:
Wilde was at one time in a relationship with Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas, son the Marquess of Queensbury (he of boxing's Queensbury Rules fame) who found the whole thing utterly disgusting.
In the theatre foyer, following the opening night of one of Wilde's plays, the Marquess was said to have presented Wilde with a bouquet of rotten cabbages. Quick as a flash, Wilde is reputed to have said: "Why, thank you, my lord. Every time I smell them I shall think of you."
I've heard of at least two which, if true, were genuine acts of brilliant wit, spoken by the man himself (although with a caveat attached to the first one):
On a tour of America he boasted every night before his live audience that he could speak for two hours on any subject with no notes or preparation, and invited audience members to shout out potential subjects.
One night someone shouted out "The Queen!" After a moment's reflection Wilde replied: "The Queen is not a subject."
(But of course that person could have been a stooge. I like to think not, though.)
The other one:
Wilde was at one time in a relationship with Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas, son the Marquess of Queensbury (he of boxing's Queensbury Rules fame) who found the whole thing utterly disgusting.
In the theatre foyer, following the opening night of one of Wilde's plays, the Marquess was said to have presented Wilde with a bouquet of rotten cabbages. Quick as a flash, Wilde is reputed to have said: "Why, thank you, my lord. Every time I smell them I shall think of you."
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