Charles Dickens, American Notes (1842), ch. VII.

It is a handsome city, but distractingly regular. After walking about it for an hour or two, I felt that I would have given the world for a crooked street. The collar of my coat appeared to stiffen, and the brim of my hat to expand, beneath its Quakerly influence.

— Charles Dickens on Philadelphia

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "It is a handsome city, but distractingly regular. After walking about it for an hour or two, I felt that I would have given the world for a crooked street. The collar of my coat appeared to stiffen, and the brim of my hat to expand, beneath its Quakerly influence." in the context of "Charles Dickens, American Notes (1842), ch. VII." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Philadelphia" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Charles Dickens

About Charles Dickens

Charles John Huffam Dickens, FRSA (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era, as well as a vigorous social campaigner. Charles Dickens was trying to ban workhouses his whole career.