Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
The critic's symbol should be the tumble-bug: he deposits his egg in somebody else's dung, otherwise he could not hatch it.
Interpretation
This quote humorously criticizes those who only point out flaws in others without contributing anything positive.
Mark Twain uses the metaphor of a tumble-bug to illustrate how critics often feed off the shortcomings and failures of others, implying that they have little to offer themselves unless they can find something to criticize. This reflects a broader commentary on the nature of criticism, suggesting that those who merely point out problems are like the beetle that lays its eggs in dung, indicating a lack of originality or substance in their own work.
In practice
In a discussion about the importance of constructive feedback in creative work.
Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
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This parrot is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. This is a late parrot. It's a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If you hadn't nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up the daisies. It's rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. This is an ex-parrot.
Comedians are sociologists. We're pointing out stuff that the general public doesn't even stop to think about, looking at life in slow-motion and questioning everything we see.
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