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.
P. G. WodehouseRead
Memories are like mulligatawny soup in a cheap restaurant. It is wiser not to stir them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Memories can be delicate and should be handled with care to avoid complications.
This quote by P. G. Wodehouse uses the metaphor of mulligatawny soup to express how memories can be complex and potentially messy. Just as stirring a poorly made soup can ruin its flavor, revisiting certain memories can lead to emotional turmoil or dissatisfaction, suggesting that some things are better left undisturbed.
Themes
MemoriesEmotionsPastReflectiveMetaphor
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to remind students of the importance of cherishing their memories.
More from P. G. Wodehouse
All quotes βWhile not exactly disgruntled, he was far from feeling gruntled. He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.
P. G. WodehouseRead
She fitted into my biggest arm-chair as if it had been built round her by someone who knew they were wearing arm-chairs tight about the hips that season
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It was a nasty look. It made me feel as if I were something the dog had brought in and intended to bury later on, when he had time.
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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.
P. G. WodehouseRead
It was one of those cases where you approve the broad, general principle of an idea but can't help being in a bit of a twitter at the prospect of putting it into practical effect. I explained this to Jeeves, and he said much the same thing had bothered Hamlet.
P. G. WodehouseRead
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