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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote humorously suggests that natural disasters can have unexpected benefits.
W. C. Fields uses a light-hearted approach to reflect on his past marriage, implying that the destruction of his marriage certificate in the San Francisco earthquake could be seen as a positive outcome. This statement combines humor with a commentary on the impermanence of relationships and offers an ironic perspective on how adversity can sometimes bring unforeseen advantages.
Themes
MarriageEarthquakeHumorIronyRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about resilience and finding humor in difficult situations.
More from W. C. Fields
All quotes →Drown in a cold vat of whiskey? Death, where is thy sting?
W. C. FieldsRead
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.
W. C. FieldsRead
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.
W. C. FieldsRead
I never vote for anyone. I always vote against.
W. C. FieldsRead
Now don't say you can't swear off drinking; it's easy. I've done it a thousand times.
W. C. FieldsRead
Similar quotes
Before you kill somebody, make absolutely sure he isn't well connected. So it goes.
Kurt VonnegutRead
and then I decided I was a lemon for a couple of weeks.
Douglas AdamsRead
He is so stupid you can't trust him with an idea.
John SteinbeckRead
When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, 'Did you sleep good?' I said 'No, I made a few mistakes.'
Steven WrightRead
A dirty joke is a sort of mental rebellion.
George OrwellRead
When someone pitches a joke for a character that is just perfect, and you can imagine that actor reading that line at your table read or on the set, it's like the sound of a snap snapping into place.
Michael SchurRead