'Pray, my dear,' quoth my mother, 'have you not forgot to wind up the clock?' - 'Good G-!' cried my father, making an exclamation, but taking care to moderate his voice at the same time, - 'Did ever woman, since the creation of the world, interrupt a man with such a silly question?'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A domestic squabble showing how interruptions annoy men in conversation or thought.
- In plain terms
- A woman interrupts a man with a silly question.
- What can you take from it?
- Notice how interruptions affect communication.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do interruptions affect you?
- What are fair conversation rules?
Another view
Reflects outdated gender roles.
More from Laurence Sterne
I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me.
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Permalink to quote #4 Only the brave know how to forgive...A coward never forgave; it is not in his nature.
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