--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [When her daughter suggested the…" description: "\"[When her daughter suggested the President refer in his conversation with foreign dignitaries about lawn care to 'fertilizer' instead of to 'manure':] ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/bess-truman-27530_care_when-her-daughter-suggested-the-presiden_25215.png" --- # \[When her daughter suggested the President refer in his… ![“[When her daughter suggested the President refer in his conversation with foreign dignitaries about lawn care to 'fertilizer' instead of to 'manure':] But remember, it took me almost thirty years to get him to call it manure.” quote by Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/bess-truman-27530_care_when-her-daughter-suggested-the-presiden_25215.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/bess-truman-27530_care_when-her-daughter-suggested-the-presiden_25215.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/bess-truman-27530_care_when-her-daughter-suggested-the-presiden_25215.png) > “\[When her daughter suggested the President refer in his conversation with foreign dignitaries about lawn care to 'fertilizer' instead of to 'manure':\] But remember, it took me almost thirty years to get him to call it manure.” [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) ## 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 anecdote highlighting the difficulty of changing entrenched habits and language, even after many years of effort. **In simple terms:** Changing habits is hard. Key Takeaway Persistence can eventually shift terminology. Themes communication politics habit formation humor language Mood wry playful Type anecdote humorous quote When to use this quote - political speech - public relations - personal persuasion - media interviews Key Concepts resistance to change political etiquette personal persistence Practical Applications - advice on messaging - strategic communication Questions to Reflect On - Why do people cling to familiar terms? - What strategies help reframe language? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) ## Related quotes > [I have used all the manure that has been thrown on me as fertilizer to make me stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-have-used-all-the-manure-that-has-been-thrown-on-me-as-fertilizer/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [Nature does have manure and she does have roots as well as blossoms, and you can't hate the manure and blame the roots for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/nature-does-have-manure-and-she-does-have-roots-as-well-as-blossoms/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [Once plants and animals were raised together on the same farm - which therefore neither produced unmanageable surpluses of manure, to be wasted and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/once-plants-and-animals-were-raised-together-on-the-same-farm-which/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [The longer I live the greater is my respect for manure in all its forms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/the-longer-i-live-the-greater-is-my-respect-for-manure-in-all-its/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [Money is like manure, you don't have to spread it around, you can just sell it to Potash Corp as fertilizer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/money-is-like-manure-you-don-t-have-to-spread-it-around-you-can-just/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/when-you-plant-lettuce-if-it-does-not-grow-well-you-don-t-blame-the/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [What are truck rental companes and fertilizer salesman goign to do in response to the OK city bombing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-z-williamson/what-are-truck-rental-companes-and-fertilizer-salesman-goign-to-do-in/) Michael Z. Williamson > [The master's eye is the best fertilizer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-master-s-eye-is-the-best-fertilizer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish we could do something useful with tobacco - like making fertilizer out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dudley-white/i-wish-we-could-do-something-useful-with-tobacco-like-making/) [Paul Dudley White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dudley-white/) > [My neighbor Alice Pierce is fond of singing folk music to her garden plants. Thinks it makes them grow or something. The Major had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-simonson/my-neighbor-alice-pierce-is-fond-of-singing-folk-music-to-her-garden/) [Helen Simonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-simonson/) > [You can't tear up everything just to get the dollar out of it without suffering as result. It is a travesty to burn our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington-carver/you-can-t-tear-up-everything-just-to-get-the-dollar-out-of-it-without/) [George Washington Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington-carver/) > [The car bomb was fertilizer, gasoline, fireworks and propane tanks...still safer than a Toyota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-car-bomb-was-fertilizer-gasoline-fireworks-and-propane-tanks/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“Even gods decay. Like, in 1890 somebody sold off thousands of mummified Ancient Egyptian sacred cats - \_for fertilizer\_. Get the point? Constancy isn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gash/even-gods-decay-like-in-1890-somebody-sold-off-thousands-of-mummified/) [Jonathan Gash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gash/) > [Some years ago one oil company bought a fertilizer company, and every other major oil company practically ran out and bought a fertilizer company.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/some-years-ago-one-oil-company-bought-a-fertilizer-company-and-every/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I wish I had more hair on my head. Maybe if I sprinkled fertilizer on it, it would grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-bax/i-wish-i-had-more-hair-on-my-head-maybe-if-i-sprinkled-fertilizer-on/) [Kylie Bax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-bax/) ## More by Bess Truman > [It's nice to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/it-s-nice-to-win/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [I am somewhat handicapped in doing things with my hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/i-am-somewhat-handicapped-in-doing-things-with-my-hands/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [Mother has to be coerced into doing a lot of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/mother-has-to-be-coerced-into-doing-a-lot-of-things/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [You may invite the entire 35th Division to your wedding if you want to. I guess it's going to be yours as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/you-may-invite-the-entire-35th-division-to-your-wedding-if-you-want/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [I was born on Delaware Street. We have never desired another home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/i-was-born-on-delaware-street-we-have-never-desired-another-home/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [It looks like you're going to have to put up with us for another four years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/it-looks-like-you-re-going-to-have-to-put-up-with-us-for-another-four/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [I'm no different from anybody else. If I don't have a card, I can't check out these books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/i-m-no-different-from-anybody-else-if-i-don-t-have-a-card-i-can-t/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [Such widely different things as war and picnics will surely show a man up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/such-widely-different-things-as-war-and-picnics-will-surely-show-a/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [I won't lock my doors or bar them either if any of the old coots in the pictures out in the hall want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/i-won-t-lock-my-doors-or-bar-them-either-if-any-of-the-old-coots-in/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [Now about those ghosts. I'm sure they're here and I'm not half so alarmed at meeting up with any of them as I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/now-about-those-ghosts-i-m-sure-they-re-here-and-i-m-not-half-so/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [It's very embarrassing to be put on the spot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/it-s-very-embarrassing-to-be-put-on-the-spot/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [Harry and I have been sweethearts and married more than forty years - and no matter where I was, when I put out my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/harry-and-i-have-been-sweethearts-and-married-more-than-forty-years/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [I've liked lots of people 'til I went on a picnic jaunt with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/i-ve-liked-lots-of-people-til-i-went-on-a-picnic-jaunt-with-them/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [I have a strong tennis arm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/i-have-a-strong-tennis-arm/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) > [A woman's place in public is to sit beside her husband, be silent, and be sure her hat is on straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/a-woman-s-place-in-public-is-to-sit-beside-her-husband-be-silent-and/) [Bess Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) [Explore all 20 Bess Truman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[When her daughter suggested the President refer in his conversation with foreign dignitaries about lawn care to 'fertilizer' instead of to 'manure':] But remember, it took me almost thirty years to get him to call it manure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bess Truman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/when-her-daughter-suggested-the-president-refer-in-his-conversation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Care" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/when-her-daughter-suggested-the-president-refer-in-his-conversation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/bess-truman-27530_care_when-her-daughter-suggested-the-presiden_25215.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/bess-truman-27530_care_when-her-daughter-suggested-the-presiden_25215.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/bess-truman-27530_care_when-her-daughter-suggested-the-presiden_25215.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[When her daughter suggested the President refer in his conversation with foreign dignitaries about lawn…” — Bess Truman", "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": "Bess Truman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bess-truman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "[When her daughter suggested the President...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/when-her-daughter-suggested-the-president-refer-in-his-conversation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bess-truman/when-her-daughter-suggested-the-president-refer-in-his-conversation/#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 } } ] } ```