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To say that New York came up to its advance billing would be the baldest of understatements. Being there was like being in heaven without going to all the bother and expense of dying.
P. G. Wodehouse
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Interpretation

What this quote means

New York exceeds all expectations, providing an experience akin to paradise.

In this quote, P. G. Wodehouse expresses that the reality of New York is even better than what one might anticipate. The comparison to heaven suggests that the city offers such a wonderful experience that it feels almost otherworldly, yet one can enjoy it without the ultimate sacrifice of dying, emphasizing the joy and vibrancy of being in New York.

Themes

New YorkHeavenExperienceExpectationsJoy

In practice

Example use cases

During a travel presentation about popular destinations, one might quote this to highlight New York's allure.

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I turned on the pillow with a little moan, and at this juncture Jeeves entered with the vital oolong. I clutched at it like a drowning man at a straw hat.
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Memories are like mulligatawny soup in a cheap restaurant. It is wiser not to stir them.
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It was a confusion of ideas between him and one of the lions he was hunting in Kenya that had caused A. B. Spottsworth to make the obituary column. He thought the lion was dead, and the lion thought it wasn't.
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