---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rei glanced over at me and nodded…"
description: "\"“Rei glanced over at me and nodded. “Exactly, Dieter. Just avoid having the cattle and keep walking.” I cleared my throat. “A cow. It’s ‘don’t have a c..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/b-justin-shier-32496_humor_rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactl_40528.jpg"
---

#  Rei glanced over at me and nodded. “Exactly, Dieter. Just…

![“Rei glanced over at me and nodded. “Exactly, Dieter. Just avoid having the cattle and keep walking.” I cleared my throat. “A cow. It’s ‘don’t have a cow.’” Rei frowned. “I fail to see why it must be a female.” quote by B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/b-justin-shier-32496_humor_rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactl_40528.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/b-justin-shier-32496_humor_rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactl_40528.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/b-justin-shier-32496_humor_rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactl_40528.jpg)

> ““Rei glanced over at me and nodded. “Exactly, Dieter. Just avoid having the cattle and keep walking.” I cleared my throat. “A cow. It’s ‘don’t have a cow.’” Rei frowned. “I fail to see why it must be a female.””

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A humorous exchange about literal versus idiomatic language, highlighting how idioms can be misinterpreted when taken at face value.

**In simple terms:** Idioms can mislead when taken literally.

Key Takeaway

Beware of literal readings of figurative speech.

Themes

language ambiguity humor communication idioms misinterpretation

Mood

playful ironic

Type

dialogue humorous anecdote

When to use this quote

- casual conversation
- teaching language
- cross‑cultural dialogue
- writing comedy

Key Concepts

idiom comprehension contextual meaning semantic flexibility

Practical Applications

- language instruction
- writing workshops

Questions to Reflect On

- How does literal interpretation affect understanding?
- When might a figurative phrase be taken literally?

A Different Perspective

null

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/)

## Related quotes

> ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/)

[Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/)

> [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/)

[Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/)

> [“ “Do Southerners laugh at different things than Northerners do? Yes, I say--Northerners.” Roy Blount, Jr., Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/do-southerners-laugh-at-different-things-than-northerners-do-yes-i/)

[Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/)

> [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/)

TimBur

> [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/)

[Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/)

[Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [“...I haven't guessed where your shirt is from yet Bane, but I don't think it'll matter once it's underwater!' Tristan looked at Bane questioningly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-k-munt/i-haven-t-guessed-where-your-shirt-is-from-yet-bane-but-i-don-t-think/)

S.K. Munt

> [In my opinion, sexiness comes down to three things: chemistry, sense of humor, and treatment of waitstaff at restaurants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/in-my-opinion-sexiness-comes-down-to-three-things-chemistry-sense-of/)

[Rhoda Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/)

[Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/)

## More by B. Justin Shier

> [“To pass the time, I made valiant strides in my effort to read Ulysses, but feared I was losing the war. A hundred pages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/to-pass-the-time-i-made-valiant-strides-in-my-effort-to-read-ulysses/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“And then Dieter was like, 'Over my dead body!' "And I was thinking my roomie was about to get his wish. "And then Rei…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/and-then-dieter-was-like-over-my-dead-body-and-i-was-thinking-my/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“Her hair was bright red, her skin, pale, and I can't explain why, but something about her shouted, 'I heart granola.' She belonged in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/her-hair-was-bright-red-her-skin-pale-and-i-can-t-explain-why-but/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“I snipped off the stem and took a knee. "For you, my love. A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/i-snipped-off-the-stem-and-took-a-knee-for-you-my-love-a-rose-by-any/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“I am aware that humans believe they are the sole owners of this curse, but all creatures love, Dieter. Love is our one shared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/i-am-aware-that-humans-believe-they-are-the-sole-owners-of-this-curse/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“My Japanese designed, vacuum-sealed thermos was one of my most prized possessions. I had filled it up before I went to sleep so there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/my-japanese-designed-vacuum-sealed-thermos-was-one-of-my-most-prized/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“There were many ways to extract information if you have more time? but if you were in a rush, they recommended flaying, crushing digits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/there-were-many-ways-to-extract-information-if-you-have-more-time-but/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“I fought the mighty urge to watch her put it on. My libido had just burst out of the closet and was tripping over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/i-fought-the-mighty-urge-to-watch-her-put-it-on-my-libido-had-just/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“In the past five minutes, I had managed to tease my libido, scald my crotch, and catch a world-class elbow with my forehead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/in-the-past-five-minutes-i-had-managed-to-tease-my-libido-scald-my/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“Son, a real battlefield lacks dignity and honor. When lives are being spent—actual human lives—those high-minded concepts lose their meaning. All that matters is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/son-a-real-battlefield-lacks-dignity-and-honor-when-lives-are-being/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“Let me take a moment to point out the glaringly obvious. Humans are idiots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/let-me-take-a-moment-to-point-out-the-glaringly-obvious-humans-are/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“I spilled my cup of coffee straight onto my crotch. Superior heat retention has its drawbacks. I grimaced as the scalding liquid reached ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/i-spilled-my-cup-of-coffee-straight-onto-my-crotch-superior-heat/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“Stumbling out of the debris cloud, I ran smack into Jules. "What the hell did ya do?" she asked in exasperation. "I mean, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/stumbling-out-of-the-debris-cloud-i-ran-smack-into-jules-what-the/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

> [“Internal bleeding?" "Indeed," she said, gesturing to a bag of light red fluid. "You pee blood as we speak." I felt down to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/internal-bleeding-indeed-she-said-gesturing-to-a-bag-of-light-red/)

[B. Justin Shier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

[Explore all 15 B. Justin Shier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/)

## More Humor quotes

> ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/)

[Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [In my opinion, sexiness comes down to three things: chemistry, sense of humor, and treatment of waitstaff at restaurants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/in-my-opinion-sexiness-comes-down-to-three-things-chemistry-sense-of/)

[Rhoda Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/)

> [“...I haven't guessed where your shirt is from yet Bane, but I don't think it'll matter once it's underwater!' Tristan looked at Bane questioningly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-k-munt/i-haven-t-guessed-where-your-shirt-is-from-yet-bane-but-i-don-t-think/)

S.K. Munt

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/)

[Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/)

[Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/)

> [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/)

TimBur

> [“ “Do Southerners laugh at different things than Northerners do? Yes, I say--Northerners.” Roy Blount, Jr., Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/do-southerners-laugh-at-different-things-than-northerners-do-yes-i/)

[Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/)

> [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/)

[Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/)

> [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/)

[Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/)

[Browse all 33,155 Humor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Rei glanced over at me and nodded. “Exactly, Dieter. Just avoid having the cattle and keep walking.” I cleared my throat. “A cow. It’s ‘don’t have a cow.’” Rei frowned. “I fail to see why it must be a female.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "B. Justin Shier"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactly-dieter-just-avoid-having/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Humor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactly-dieter-just-avoid-having/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/b-justin-shier-32496_humor_rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactl_40528.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/b-justin-shier-32496_humor_rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactl_40528.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/b-justin-shier-32496_humor_rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactl_40528.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Rei glanced over at me and nodded. “Exactly, Dieter. Just avoid having the cattle and keep walking.” I…” — B. Justin Shier",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "B. Justin Shier",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-justin-shier/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Rei glanced over at me and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactly-dieter-just-avoid-having/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-justin-shier/rei-glanced-over-at-me-and-nodded-exactly-dieter-just-avoid-having/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```