--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Phrase books seem to be a universal and…" description: "\"Phrase books seem to be a universal and eternal source of hilarity and I think I know why. Their authors go mad in the course of compiling them.\" — Ali..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/444/alice-thomas-ellis-23304_book_phrase-books-seem-to-be-a-universal-and_586513.jpg" --- # Phrase books seem to be a universal and eternal source of… ![“Phrase books seem to be a universal and eternal source of hilarity and I think I know why. Their authors go mad in the course of compiling them.” quote by Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/444/alice-thomas-ellis-23304_book_phrase-books-seem-to-be-a-universal-and_586513.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/444/alice-thomas-ellis-23304_book_phrase-books-seem-to-be-a-universal-and_586513.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/444/alice-thomas-ellis-23304_book_phrase-books-seem-to-be-a-universal-and_586513.jpg) > “Phrase books seem to be a universal and eternal source of hilarity and I think I know why. Their authors go mad in the course of compiling them.” [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compiling phrase books reveals absurdities, driving authors to frustration and humor. **In simple terms:** Creating phrase books shows absurdities that drive authors crazy. Key Takeaway Recognize humor in linguistic quirks. Themes humor language creativity Mood amused lighthearted Type observational humorous When to use this quote - travel writing - language learning - comedy writing Key Concepts linguistic absurdity authorial stress Questions to Reflect On - What linguistic oddities have you encountered? - How does humor help cope with frustration? A Different Perspective The humor may mask deeper cultural misunderstandings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Hilarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hilarity/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“John, let me make one thing clear,” Jim said, cutting me off in his most stern, evangelical voice. “Every man is blessed with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-let-me-make-one-thing-clear-jim-said-cutting-me-off-in-his-most/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [These are the highlights in a lifetime of following sports. Hilarity. The most sheer fun I ever had in sports was playing volleyball, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/these-are-the-highlights-in-a-lifetime-of-following-sports-hilarity/) [James A. 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Eames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-d-eames/) > [The hilarity or brilliance of a forwarded link is inversely proportional to the number of people it's sent to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/the-hilarity-or-brilliance-of-a-forwarded-link-is-inversely/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) ## More by Alice Thomas Ellis > [There seems to be a peculiar and particular tie between men who have been drunk together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/there-seems-to-be-a-peculiar-and-particular-tie-between-men-who-have/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [“There is no reciprocity. Men love women. Women love children. Children love hamsters. Hamsters don't love anyone; it is quite hopeless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/there-is-no-reciprocity-men-love-women-women-love-children-children/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [“I vividly recall an occasion when the oldest son was starting to crawl. 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I never look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/the-snag-in-being-married-to-a-person-who-knows-more-or-less/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [Evil and laughter cannot co-exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/evil-and-laughter-cannot-co-exist/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [There is a hint of despair in the cry of 'I told you so,' an element of disappointment in the apparent satisfaction when idols…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/there-is-a-hint-of-despair-in-the-cry-of-i-told-you-so-an-element-of/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [Claudia's the sort of girl who goes through life holding onto the sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/claudia-s-the-sort-of-girl-who-goes-through-life-holding-onto-the/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [Our only hope rests on the off-chance that God does exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/our-only-hope-rests-on-the-off-chance-that-god-does-exist/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [Men were made for war. 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This is the Google Translate of the quote in Persian, above.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/there-is-no-relationship-women-like-men-women-children-babies/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [“. . to cook well and with imagination you have to be in a cheerful and contented frame of mind, and thus inclined to be generous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/to-cook-well-and-with-imagination-you-have-to-be-in-a-cheerful-and/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [It's when most of the guests have gone that the party really gets interesting - peering under the table and into the bath to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/it-s-when-most-of-the-guests-have-gone-that-the-party-really-gets/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) [Explore all 26 Alice Thomas Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. 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