Skip to content
QuoteQuest

““Both,” replied Sam; “easy shavin’ was his natur, and cuttin’ and curlin’ was his pride and glory. His whole delight wos in his trade.”

Attribution not independently verified against a primary source.

— Charles Dickens

Verification

Attributed

Recorded by a reliable secondary source; exact wording may differ.

Wording, source authorship and rights checked against retrieved text; not an independent editorial review.

Live wording check · 2026-10-26

Author: Charles Dickens in vun!’” {15} While Mr. Pickwick is listening to Master Humphrey’s story above, the Wellers are entertained by the housekeeper in the kitchen, where they find Mr. Slithers, the barber, to whom Sam Weller, drawing extensively we may suppose upon his lively imagination, relates the following anecdote:— “I never knew,” said Sam, fixing his eyes in a ruminative manner upon the blushing barber, “I never knew but von o’ your trade, but _he_ wos worth a dozen, and wos indeed dewoted to his callin’!” “Was he in the easy shaving way, sir,” inquired Mr. Slithers; “or in the cutting and curling line?” “Both,” replied Sam; “easy shavin’ was his natur, and cuttin’ and curlin’ was his pride and glory. His whole delight wos in his trade. He spent all his money in bears and run in debt for ’em besides, and there they wos a growling avay down in the front cellar all day long, and ineffectooally gnashing their teeth, vile the grease o’ their relations and friends wos being re-tailed in gallipots in the shop above, and the first-floor winder wos ornamented vith their heads; not to speak o’ the dreadful aggrawation it must have been to ’em to see a man alvays a walkin’ up and down the pavement outside, vith the portrait of a bear in his last agonies, and underneath in large letters, ‘Another fine animal wos slaughtered yesterday a Public domain in the USA.
Read evidence

Source

Title
Speeches: Literary and Social
Type
Public-domain primary text · Primary source
Edition date
1880
Edition
1880 Chatto and Windus edition
Location
INTRODUCTION.
Held by
Chatto and Windus
View source at Chatto and Windus

Context

Asked whether the barber specialized in shaving or haircutting, Sam says he excelled at both.

What it means

Dickens humorously portrays professional dedication in fictional dialogue.

Cite this source

Bibliography entry
Dickens, Charles. (1880). Speeches: Literary and Social. Chatto and Windus. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/824/pg824.txt
Quotation citation
Dickens (1880, INTRODUCTION.)
In-text citation
(Dickens, 1880, INTRODUCTION.)

Check citations against your institution's style guide.

Citation draft only — confirm wording, speaker and the underlying source before submitting schoolwork.

Report a problem

Provenance: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/824/pg824.txt