Alan Coren

Alan Coren was an English humorist, journalist and broadcaster. He was for many years a frequent contributor to Punch, which he edited from 1977 to 1987. He regularly appeared on The News Quiz and Call My Bluff, and had a column in The Times.

His children are Giles Coren and Victoria Coren.

Sourced

• In the days when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, I know one boy who won't be sweating. I intend to raise my coffin-lid briskly, throw a few things into an overnight bag, and, whistling something appropriate, prepare to meet my Maker.
  • "Bye Bye Blackbird, Hello Mortal Sin", The Dog It Was that Died (1965)
  • The first half of the quote is Ecclesiastes, 12:3

• Disneyworld…is a historical reconstruction as sanitised as the Kremlin's, and a future vision as uncognisant of contemporary pointers as Peter Pan's. It is a magic carpet under which everything has been swept.
  • "Suspended Animation", Tissues for Men (1980)

• Does not even the most sexually democratic of us, among which number I unquestionably count myself, not choke back the tiniest sob at the sight of poor old Denis stumbling along behind, struggling pitifully to hold his trilby on, as the PM strides across Goose Green with the wind managing only to make her hair look more Medusan, and the very mines praying she will not crush them under-heel?
  • "Subordinate Claus", Bumf (1984)

The Sanity Inspector (1974)

• A long, soft sigh, one of those very Italian sighs that express so much, that say "Ah, signor, if only this world were an ideal world, what would I not give to be able to do as you ask, we should sit together in the Tuscan sunshine, you and I, just two men together, and we should drink a bottle of the good red wine, and we should sing, ah, how we should sing."
  • "Let Us Now Phone Famous Men"

• The word "souvenir" has, of course, slightly extended itself in meaning until it now denotes almost anything either breakable or useless; but even today, ninety per cent of the items covered by the word are forgettable objects in which cigarettes can be left to go stale.
  • "And Though They Do Their Best To Bring…"

• Since Switzerland has nothing else to identify it…and since both its national products, snow and chocolate, melt, the cuckoo clock was invented solely in order to give tourists something solid to remember it by.
  • "And Though They Do Their Best To Bring…"

• Having lost the last war, they are currently enjoying a Wirtschaftswunder, which can be briefly translated as "The best way to own a Mercedes is to build one."
  • "All You Need To Know About Europe", Germany

• Strictly speaking, the land does not exist; it is merely dehydrated sea.
  • "All You Need To Know About Europe", Netherlands

• Apart from cheese and tulips, the main product of the country is advocaat, a drink made from lawyers.
  • "All You Need To Know About Europe", Netherlands

• I rang room service, and asked for a bottle of Perrier, because while I was asleep someone had come in and carpeted my throat.
  • "The Night We Went To Epernay By Way Of Tours-sur-Marne"