Lionel, in a Freudian slip, says Judith (who is going off for a possibly romantic weekend) is not Eskimo Nell then corrects it to her not being Little Nell. Eskimo Nell was the star of a downright pornographic poem popularized in the 1940s. She was a jaded and indefatigable prostitute. Little Nell, from "The Old Curiosity Shop" was a sweet and innocent 14 year old orphan.
Alistair says "Assumption doth make cowards of us all". Lionel tells him that's wrong. The actual quote is "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." It was used by US General George S. Patton, and by Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. It is attributed to Shakespeare.
Alistair misquotes Shakespeare when he says, "Assumption doth make cowards of us all," and Lionel correctly points out it's wrong and makes no sense. The correct quote comes from Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" speech: "Conscience doth make cowards of us all."