In these circumstances I think we must take the bull by the horns and, making due allowances, quote whenever we feel that the allusion is interesting or helpful or amusing.

Fadiman is arguing for a pragmatic, reader-centered approach to quotation and allusion. Because perfect attribution, exhaustive sourcing, or strict rules about when one “may” quote can be impractical, he urges writers and critics to proceed boldly—“take the bull by the horns”—while exercising judgment (“making due allowances”). The point is not to quote for display or pedantry, but to quote when it genuinely serves communication: when an allusion clarifies an idea, adds interest, or provides wit. The remark reflects a humanistic view of literary culture as a shared conversation in which quotation is a tool for connection rather than a mere scholarly ritual.