--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever I hear some bigmouth in…" description: "\"Whenever I hear some bigmouth in Washington or the Christian heartland banging on about the evils of sodomy or whatever, I mentally enter his name in m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/christopher-hitchens-117_banging_whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washing_2059506.jpg" --- # Whenever I hear some bigmouth in Washington or the… ![“Whenever I hear some bigmouth in Washington or the Christian heartland banging on about the evils of sodomy or whatever, I mentally enter his name in my notebook and contentedly set my watch. Sooner rather than later, he will be discovered down on his weary and well-worn old knees in some dreary…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/christopher-hitchens-117_banging_whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washing_2059506.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/christopher-hitchens-117_banging_whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washing_2059506.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/christopher-hitchens-117_banging_whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washing_2059506.jpg) > “Whenever I hear some bigmouth in Washington or the Christian heartland banging on about the evils of sodomy or whatever, I mentally enter his name in my notebook and contentedly set my watch. Sooner rather than later, he will be discovered down on his weary and well-worn old knees in some dreary motel or latrine, with an expired Visa card, having tried to pay well over the odds to be peed upon by some Apache transvestite.” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He mocks moral crusaders by picturing their downfall in a humiliating, lowly setting, highlighting hypocrisy and eventual retribution. **In simple terms:** Critics will face ruin and humiliation. Key Takeaway Expect moral hypocrisy to collapse. Themes hypocrisy retribution social criticism Mood cynical ironic contemptuous Type satirical political When to use this quote - political discourse - religious debates - personal vendettas Key Concepts Moral relativism satire justice Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about the power of satire? - How can we address hypocrisy without resorting to ridicule? A Different Perspective His vivid imagery may exaggerate and distract from nuanced critique. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Notebook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notebook/) [Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odds/) [Visa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visa/) ## Related quotes > [What do you mean, my birth certificate expired???](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pryme/what-do-you-mean-my-birth-certificate-expired/) Pryme > [The 9/11 Commission said that this tracking system would be a high priority and would have assisted law enforcement and intelligence officials in august…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-9-11-commission-said-that-this-tracking-system-would-be-a-high/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Copyrights have not expired, and will not expire, so long as Congress is free to be bought to extend them again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/copyrights-have-not-expired-and-will-not-expire-so-long-as-congress/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [In between the Queen and the First Lady, Nancy Reagan, sat Tony Richardson, looking very calm. Later on it emerged that this was because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/in-between-the-queen-and-the-first-lady-nancy-reagan-sat-tony/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [We are only tenants, and shortly the great Landlord will give us notice that our lease has expired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jefferson/we-are-only-tenants-and-shortly-the-great-landlord-will-give-us/) [Joseph Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jefferson/) > [I did pass the bar in Pennsylvania. I can practice Amish law. But it's long expired, my bar license.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-fulcher/i-did-pass-the-bar-in-pennsylvania-i-can-practice-amish-law-but-it-s/) [Rich Fulcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-fulcher/) > [“But the pill did nothing, probably expired like everything else on the premises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-the-pill-did-nothing-probably-expired-like-everything-else-on-the/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“The love you are selling has been expired for some time -discounts won’t make it better”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-curtis/the-love-you-are-selling-has-been-expired-for-some-time-discounts-won/) [Emily Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-curtis/) > [In English the expression 'ancient Greece' includes the meaning of 'finished,' whereas for us Greece goes on living, for better or for worse; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/budd-schulberg/in-english-the-expression-ancient-greece-includes-the-meaning-of/) [Budd Schulberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/budd-schulberg/) > [The problem with life is, by the time you can read women like a book, your library card has expired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/the-problem-with-life-is-by-the-time-you-can-read-women-like-a-book/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [Please don't keep until your desire expired, you are in short time to live and forever to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tivea/please-don-t-keep-until-your-desire-expired-you-are-in-short-time-to/) [Tivea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tivea/) > [I traveled nonstop in 2009, so when my son popped out and my passport expired for a while, I felt more than happy just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emm-gryner/i-traveled-nonstop-in-2009-so-when-my-son-popped-out-and-my-passport/) [Emm Gryner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emm-gryner/) > [The Doxology ... that testimonial to the Platonic Trinity, which divided the Roman Empire into at least eighteen quarreling sects, none of whom knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-hurmence-green/the-doxology-that-testimonial-to-the-platonic-trinity-which-divided/) [Ruth Hurmence Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-hurmence-green/) > [I spent all of my money on film. I remember I would do these set-design jobs or transcribe or just anything to get, like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/i-spent-all-of-my-money-on-film-i-remember-i-would-do-these-set/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [Light inspires me. I'm drawn to architecture, often graves, statues, trees - things usually that are quite still. I've been taking pictures continuously since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/light-inspires-me-i-m-drawn-to-architecture-often-graves-statues/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Banging quotes > [I was banging seven-gram rocks, because that’s how I roll. I have one speed, I have one gear: Go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/i-was-banging-seven-gram-rocks-because-that-s-how-i-roll-i-have-one/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [A lot of banging in the head has built up over the decades, and for my own sanity, I needed to write. I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/a-lot-of-banging-in-the-head-has-built-up-over-the-decades-and-for-my/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [The Metallica film was like this incredible life experience where I learned the most through guys that stereotypically you would think couldn't offer much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-berlinger/the-metallica-film-was-like-this-incredible-life-experience-where-i/) [Joe Berlinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-berlinger/) > [“the rest of you... keep banging the rocks together”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-rest-of-you-keep-banging-the-rocks-together/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Basically Ken is a very gentle, home-loving person. I remember when one of his stick insects had a knee infection. He stayed up all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/basically-ken-is-a-very-gentle-home-loving-person-i-remember-when-one/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I love the protests. And if you think about it, what better way to send a message to Wall Street than by sitting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/i-love-the-protests-and-if-you-think-about-it-what-better-way-to-send/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [How can you not love a man banging on the drums? He knows how to keep a rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malin-akerman/how-can-you-not-love-a-man-banging-on-the-drums-he-knows-how-to-keep/) [Malin Akerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malin-akerman/) > [You always want to try, in everything you do, to attempt something you've never tried before, and the only way to succeed at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-willimon/you-always-want-to-try-in-everything-you-do-to-attempt-something-you/) [Beau Willimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-willimon/) > [The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose. Life is a learning process and you have to try to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/the-important-thing-is-to-learn-a-lesson-every-time-you-lose-life-is/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [I've been playing my instrument since I was about three or four. That's when I started banging around on the piano, trying to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-wolff/i-ve-been-playing-my-instrument-since-i-was-about-three-or-four-that/) [Nat Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-wolff/) > [At moments when life is at its worst there are two things you can do: 1.) break down,lose hope and refuse to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/at-moments-when-life-is-at-its-worst-there-are-two-things-you-can-do/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [The music I used to make was a lot more rock, so I come from this background of head banging a lot, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/the-music-i-used-to-make-was-a-lot-more-rock-so-i-come-from-this/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [Directing takes a lot longer than acting. This was about seven years in development, and then two and a half years with pre-production, production,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-schwimmer/directing-takes-a-lot-longer-than-acting-this-was-about-seven-years/) [David Schwimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-schwimmer/) > [And if there are no cars or planes, and if no one’s Uncle John is out in the wood lot west of town banging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/and-if-there-are-no-cars-or-planes-and-if-no-one-s-uncle-john-is-out/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Music loud, hear it banging through the whole street. Beat getting shit on: toilet bowl seat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-miller/music-loud-hear-it-banging-through-the-whole-street-beat-getting-shit/) [Mac Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-miller/) Browse all 179 Banging quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whenever I hear some bigmouth in Washington or the Christian heartland banging on about the evils of sodomy or whatever, I mentally enter his name in my notebook and contentedly set my watch. Sooner rather than later, he will be discovered down on his weary and well-worn old knees in some dreary motel or latrine, with an expired Visa card, having tried to pay well over the odds to be peed upon by some Apache transvestite.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Hitchens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washington-or-the-christian/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Banging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washington-or-the-christian/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/christopher-hitchens-117_banging_whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washing_2059506.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/christopher-hitchens-117_banging_whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washing_2059506.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/christopher-hitchens-117_banging_whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washing_2059506.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whenever I hear some bigmouth in Washington or the Christian heartland banging on about the evils of sodomy…” — Christopher Hitchens", "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": "Christopher Hitchens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whenever I hear some bigmouth in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washington-or-the-christian/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/whenever-i-hear-some-bigmouth-in-washington-or-the-christian/#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 } } ] } ```