--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: it took Coyote a very long time indeed to…" description: "\"“it took Coyote a very long time indeed to show up, or that he looked distracted when he did. How a dog could look distracted, I didn’t know, but there..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/c-e-murphy-13641_coyote_it-took-coyote-a-very-long-time-indeed-t_2047331.png" --- # it took Coyote a very long time indeed to show up, or that… ![“it took Coyote a very long time indeed to show up, or that he looked distracted when he did. How a dog could look distracted, I didn’t know, but there you had it. “I’m not,” he said for the umpteenth time, “a dog.” quote by C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/c-e-murphy-13641_coyote_it-took-coyote-a-very-long-time-indeed-t_2047331.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/c-e-murphy-13641_coyote_it-took-coyote-a-very-long-time-indeed-t_2047331.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/c-e-murphy-13641_coyote_it-took-coyote-a-very-long-time-indeed-t_2047331.png) > ““it took Coyote a very long time indeed to show up, or that he looked distracted when he did. How a dog could look distracted, I didn’t know, but there you had it. “I’m not,” he said for the umpteenth time, “a dog.”” [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character named Coyote delays appearing, appearing distracted, and insists he is not a dog, highlighting absurdity and identity confusion. **In simple terms:** Coyote is late, looks distracted, denies being a dog. Key Takeaway Question identity and absurdity. Themes absurdity identity humor Mood playful confusing Type literary comic When to use this quote - Storytelling - creative writing - performance - character development Key Concepts character dialogue literary nonsense comic timing Questions to Reflect On - What does the denial reveal? - How does absurdity affect tone? A Different Perspective May confuse readers without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coyote/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Well, the first year I lost my voice I didn't mind so much because I was going to have a baby and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-cash/well-the-first-year-i-lost-my-voice-i-didn-t-mind-so-much-because-i/) [Rosanne Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-cash/) > [“Wild creatures' eyes, the colonel said, Are innocent and fathomless And when I look at them I see That they are not aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-smith/wild-creatures-eyes-the-colonel-said-are-innocent-and-fathomless-and/) [Stevie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-smith/) > [A dog will make eye contact. A cat will, too, but a cat's eyes don't even look entirely warm-blooded to me, whereas a dog's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-blount-jr/a-dog-will-make-eye-contact-a-cat-will-too-but-a-cat-s-eyes-don-t/) [Roy Blount, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-blount-jr/) > [“Then in a great crash they threw themselves to the floor, ears flopped down, the whites of their eyes showing, looking the way only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-moussaieff-masson/then-in-a-great-crash-they-threw-themselves-to-the-floor-ears-flopped/) [Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-moussaieff-masson/) > [You can say any fool thing to a dog, and the dog will give you this look that says, 'My God, you're RIGHT! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-can-say-any-fool-thing-to-a-dog-and-the-dog-will-give-you-this/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [“I'm not a dog”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/i-m-not-a-dog/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [I could hear him laughing. Son of a bit\*h. I would kill him. I didn't care if he was coyote or the son of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-could-hear-him-laughing-son-of-a-bit-h-i-would-kill-him-i-didn-t/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [I have the look every woman dreams of: Wile E. Coyote right after something's blown up in his face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-have-the-look-every-woman-dreams-of-wile-e-coyote-right-after/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [Usually, the kills are almost Wile E. Coyote kind of things in horror movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/usually-the-kills-are-almost-wile-e-coyote-kind-of-things-in-horror/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [This morning I saw a coyote walking through the sagebrush right at the very edge of the ocean ― next stop China. The coyote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brautigan/this-morning-i-saw-a-coyote-walking-through-the-sagebrush-right-at/) [Richard Brautigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brautigan/) > [“Sometimes animals could not be reintroduced into the wild because they’d lost their ability to hunt, had come to rely on humans for food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-hartnett/sometimes-animals-could-not-be-reintroduced-into-the-wild-because/) [Annie Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-hartnett/) > [“Coyote: A small canid (Canis latrans) native to western North America that is closely related to the American wolf and whose cry has often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/coyote-a-small-canid-canis-latrans-native-to-western-north-america/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Canis latrans,” Wolfenson finally remarked. Fincher furrowed his brow. “Latin for... barking dog?” “Yes, the coyote. They have a gift of making the howls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-finney/canis-latrans-wolfenson-finally-remarked-fincher-furrowed-his-brow/) [Richard Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-finney/) > [You have a coyote inside you and you have to get it out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-jones/you-have-a-coyote-inside-you-and-you-have-to-get-it-out/) [Chuck Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-jones/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) ## More by C.E. Murphy > [Rita folded her arms around herself and peered up at me. “If you’d asked me three months ago I’d have said you were hitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/rita-folded-her-arms-around-herself-and-peered-up-at-me-if-you-d/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“All thinking things fear. Sentience, perhaps, is facing that fear and conquering it rather than succumbing. A tiger will drown in a tar pit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/all-thinking-things-fear-sentience-perhaps-is-facing-that-fear-and/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“He can’t keep this up forever, Joanne. Stop fucking around." Did other people have little voices in their heads that said things like that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/he-can-t-keep-this-up-forever-joanne-stop-fucking-around-did-other/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“You ever get the feeling your life is a string festooned with bells and tie4d to hundreds of others you don't know anything about?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/you-ever-get-the-feeling-your-life-is-a-string-festooned-with-bells/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [Thank God genuine video phones hadn't been invented. I hadn't even grabbed a towel. Ford Prefect would despair of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/thank-god-genuine-video-phones-hadn-t-been-invented-i-hadn-t-even/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“He rallied a little. "Who are you? What do you know about this? Disease control is our job, not yours. Who are you?" "My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/he-rallied-a-little-who-are-you-what-do-you-know-about-this-disease/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“But maybe, just maybe, I was who and where and what I needed to be. Maybe all the prices that had been paid were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/but-maybe-just-maybe-i-was-who-and-where-and-what-i-needed-to-be/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [I suppose I knew on an intellectual level that graves weren't especially made for getting out of. I mean, you start with a hermetically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/i-suppose-i-knew-on-an-intellectual-level-that-graves-weren-t/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“Yes " Morrison said dryly. "I'm sure it would have helped with flying the car, if any of us had been calm and rational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/yes-morrison-said-dryly-i-m-sure-it-would-have-helped-with-flying-the/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“In Ireland, you go to someone's house, and she asks you if you want a cup of tea. You say no, thank you, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/in-ireland-you-go-to-someone-s-house-and-she-asks-you-if-you-want-a/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [Don’t be sorry. Be good. Be right. Be a hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/don-t-be-sorry-be-good-be-right-be-a-hero/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“imagined slights could be more poisonous than real ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/imagined-slights-could-be-more-poisonous-than-real-ones/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“All I've got is a pocketful of attitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/all-i-ve-got-is-a-pocketful-of-attitude/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [“He fell ass over tea Kettle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/he-fell-ass-over-tea-kettle/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) > [Why do airline pilots always call passengers "folks"? I don't usually take umbrage at generic terminology--I'm one of those forward-thinkers who believes that "man"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/why-do-airline-pilots-always-call-passengers-folks-i-don-t-usually/) [C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) [Explore all 49 C.E. Murphy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/) ## More Coyote quotes > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [You have a coyote inside you and you have to get it out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-jones/you-have-a-coyote-inside-you-and-you-have-to-get-it-out/) [Chuck Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-jones/) > [“Canis latrans,” Wolfenson finally remarked. Fincher furrowed his brow. “Latin for... barking dog?” “Yes, the coyote. They have a gift of making the howls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-finney/canis-latrans-wolfenson-finally-remarked-fincher-furrowed-his-brow/) [Richard Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-finney/) > [“Coyote: A small canid (Canis latrans) native to western North America that is closely related to the American wolf and whose cry has often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/coyote-a-small-canid-canis-latrans-native-to-western-north-america/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Sometimes animals could not be reintroduced into the wild because they’d lost their ability to hunt, had come to rely on humans for food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-hartnett/sometimes-animals-could-not-be-reintroduced-into-the-wild-because/) [Annie Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-hartnett/) > [This morning I saw a coyote walking through the sagebrush right at the very edge of the ocean ― next stop China. The coyote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brautigan/this-morning-i-saw-a-coyote-walking-through-the-sagebrush-right-at/) [Richard Brautigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brautigan/) > [Usually, the kills are almost Wile E. Coyote kind of things in horror movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/usually-the-kills-are-almost-wile-e-coyote-kind-of-things-in-horror/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [I have the look every woman dreams of: Wile E. Coyote right after something's blown up in his face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-have-the-look-every-woman-dreams-of-wile-e-coyote-right-after/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [I could hear him laughing. Son of a bit\*h. I would kill him. I didn't care if he was coyote or the son of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-could-hear-him-laughing-son-of-a-bit-h-i-would-kill-him-i-didn-t/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [I was really interested in meeting Peter Coyote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-gretsch/i-was-really-interested-in-meeting-peter-coyote/) [Joel Gretsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-gretsch/) > [“Never dare a Coyote. Ever. It was a law, even the council knew to never dare them. They always accepted a dare. They always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lora-leigh/never-dare-a-coyote-ever-it-was-a-law-even-the-council-knew-to-never/) [Lora Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lora-leigh/) > [“She kept her ears permanently tuned to the chicken voices outside, so knew immediately when a coyote had crept into the yard, and barreled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/she-kept-her-ears-permanently-tuned-to-the-chicken-voices-outside-so/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“At some point, Len was going to make a real pass at her, forcing her to make a real decision, and the game was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/at-some-point-len-was-going-to-make-a-real-pass-at-her-forcing-her-to/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“In a fall, you only start from zero velocity if your surname is Coyote.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyphatia-cneajna/in-a-fall-you-only-start-from-zero-velocity-if-your-surname-is-coyote/) Hyphatia Cneajna > [“One more month," he said finally. "And then they—and Samuel, too—will just have to get used to it. His eye is the color of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/one-more-month-he-said-finally-and-then-they-and-samuel-too-will-just/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) [Browse all 55 Coyote quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coyote/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“it took Coyote a very long time indeed to show up, or that he looked distracted when he did. How a dog could look distracted, I didn’t know, but there you had it. “I’m not,” he said for the umpteenth time, “a dog.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.E. 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