Question: Without looking him up, do you know who this person is?

In My Humble Opinion
81

Yep, I’ve heard of him, and even looked into his Letters. But the only quote I could name is the one about sex.

42 y.o., American, AB in English Lit.

82

I’ve heard of Chesterfield . . . but aside from the furniture and the jacket and the cigarettes, know nothing about him.

83

I know a Chesterton, but not a Chesterfield.

84

My immediate response was that he was a politician but that was probably an obvious deduction because I can’t recall where I heard or read anything about him. I had no idea he had written anything of note and the quotes are a mystery to me.

85

He’s from the 18th century and wrote a book of advice for young gentlemen which is still read and quoted today… but I wouldn’t say he’s mainstream.

Edited to add that I was prettty close but forgot the letters were written to his son and godson

86

I’d think he’d be remembered more between Chamberlain and Churchill :smiley:
Anyway, I’d heard the name, but knew nothing at all about him, so certainly wouldn’t have recognized the quotes.

87

I only knew him as the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, and only then because my sister did a project on the Phoenix Park that I helped with.

88

I heard of him when we studied one of his letters to his son in an English class in cégep. Beyond that, nada.

89

I knew him ONLY because Chesterfield sponsored old time radio shows. I am a big fan of OTR and I looked up the cigarettes and got the information from Wikipedia, through links.

Had I not been a fan of OTR, I wouldn’t have known

90

I had only heard of the name “Chesterfield” and if pressed would have said it had something to do with furniture. I didn’t know anything about him, nor did I even recognize the quotes as having even heard them in any context before. Disclaimer: I’m an American. Maybe it’s a UK thing.

91

Many thanks to all who contributed.

The author, by the way, is American, so I can’t say it’s a UK thing.
I didn’t post info on the book – my home computer’s been down. But it’s now up again.

92

Hey … what was that Latin quote after all?

93

What he said.

94

Your friend has a delusional sense of his own mainstreamness.

Never heard of the guy.