Few things in life are more embarrassing than the necessity of having to inform an old friend that you have just got engaged to his fiancee.
W. C. FieldsRead
Now don't say you can't swear off drinking; it's easy. I've done it a thousand times.
Interpretation
This quote humorously suggests that giving up drinking is a simple task, as the speaker has repeatedly done it without difficulty.
W. C. Fields, known for his comedic persona, uses this quote to highlight the irony of self-control and the struggle many face with drinking. By asserting that he's sworn off alcohol numerous times, he conveys a mix of humor and truth about the challenges of addiction, implying that while it may seem easy to stop, the reality is often quite different.
In practice
In a comedy club setting, as a punchline after discussing personal challenges with alcohol.
Few things in life are more embarrassing than the necessity of having to inform an old friend that you have just got engaged to his fiancee.
Drown in a cold vat of whiskey? Death, where is thy sting?
I was married once--in San Francisco. I haven't seen her for many years. The great earthquake and fire in 1906 destroyed the marriage certificate. There's no legal proof. Which proves that earthquakes aren't all bad.
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.
Christmas at my house is always at least six or seven times more pleasant than anywhere else. We start drinking early. And while everyone else is seeing only one Santa Claus, we'll be seeing six or seven.
I never vote for anyone. I always vote against.
Anyway, it's like with bikes,' said the first speaker authoritatively. 'I thought I was going to get this bike with seven gears and one of them razorblade saddles and purple paint and everything, and they gave me this light blue one. With a basket. A girl's bike.' 'Well. You're a girl,' said one of the others. 'That's sexism, that is. Going around giving people girly presents just because they're a girl.
If women dressed for men, the stores wouldn't sell much - just an occasional sun visor.
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.
If there is a better singer in England than Craig David, then I am Margaret Thatcher.
It's not a good idea to take a forecast from someone wearing a tie. If possible, tease people who take themselves and their knowledge too seriously.
I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit.
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