Context

Meet Mr Dalloway. 

He's not the star of Mrs Dalloway—that would be Clarissa (a.k.a. Mrs. Dalloway). Richard is her husband, and this quote is a thought he has as he makes his way through Green Park to his house with a bouquet of flowers for his wife. He's just come from a lunch with Lady Bruton and Hugh Whitbread that was probably exactly as stuffy and miserable as it sounds.

Richard is determined to tell Clarissa that he loves her, probably because they had just discussed how much Peter Walsh loved her and Richard is thinking about how boring he is by comparison. Hugh is looking for jewelry for his wife, and Richard realizes he's never bought Clarissa jewelry...though she's never wanted any.

Riveting stuff.

Anyway, he never tells her that he loves her, which is where that whole "thousand pities" thing comes in.

Where you've heard it

This here's a universal feeling...that is never ever expressed in these words.

Sorry, Virginia Woolf, no one actually talks like that.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

A thousand pities? Really?