Deep Acrostics

Acronyms use the first letter of each word of a name. Diacronyms instead use the first two letters of names. While not yet called that, they featured in "Short People" in the November issue (09-291, 294). Diacrostics are diacronyms of whole sentences. Unlike acronyms, which usually have to be defined and memorised, diacrostics may be--and triacrostics often are--directly readable, especially if the context is known, the language is simple, or the sentence is a familiar quotation. How many letters deep does an acrostic have to go before a majority of sentences are readable? Judge for yourself in this puzzle which progresses from single through five letter acrostics of the same collection of nineteen quotations. Tick each one at the first level at which you recognised it or perceived the gist of its meaning, though not yet word perfect. Tick twice when verbatim. Add up all the ticks/level on a sheet of paper, throw it in the trash and declare yourself the winner.