--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...if he fell, well, he fell—but if he…" description: "\"“...if he fell, well, he fell—but if he survived he would become a monument, not carved in stone or encased in brass, but one of those New York monumen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/colum-mccann-902_bad-language_if-he-fell-well-he-fell-but-if-he-surviv_797243.png" --- # ...if he fell, well, he fell—but if he survived he would… ![“...if he fell, well, he fell—but if he survived he would become a monument, not carved in stone or encased in brass, but one of those New York monuments that made you say: Can you believe it? With an expletive. There would always be an expletive in a New York sentence. Even from a judge. Soderberg…” quote by Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/colum-mccann-902_bad-language_if-he-fell-well-he-fell-but-if-he-surviv_797243.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/colum-mccann-902_bad-language_if-he-fell-well-he-fell-but-if-he-surviv_797243.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/colum-mccann-902_bad-language_if-he-fell-well-he-fell-but-if-he-surviv_797243.png) > ““...if he fell, well, he fell—but if he survived he would become a monument, not carved in stone or encased in brass, but one of those New York monuments that made you say: Can you believe it? With an expletive. There would always be an expletive in a New York sentence. Even from a judge. Soderberg was not fond of bad language, but he knew its value at the right time. A man on a tightrope, a hundred and ten stories in the air, can you possibly fucking believe it?”” [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Risk and daring can turn a near‑failure into a legendary story that captures public imagination. **In simple terms:** Bold risk can create lasting fame. Key Takeaway Embrace daring moments. Themes risk legend language culture Mood intense defiant Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - tightrope performance - public speaking - creative writing - media coverage Key Concepts heroism public perception media Questions to Reflect On - What risk could become your legend? - When does daring become reckless? A Different Perspective Not all risks pay off; fame can be fleeting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-language/) [Legacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legacy/) [Monument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monument/) ## Related quotes > [“There would always be an expletive in a New York sentence. Even from a judge. Soderberg was not fond of bad language, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/there-would-always-be-an-expletive-in-a-new-york-sentence-even-from-a/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [ My rhymes are gonna kill, so I suggest you write your will and leave your \[expletive\] to me. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-manuel-miranda/my-rhymes-are-gonna-kill-so-i-suggest-you-write-your-will-and-leave/) [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-manuel-miranda/) > [ Seriously, just buy the \[expletive deleted\] book. I promise you'll like it. Unless you're \[expletive deleted\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-sue-deconnick/seriously-just-buy-the-expletive-deleted-book-i-promise-you-ll-like/) [Kelly Sue DeConnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-sue-deconnick/) > [My party is going bat (EXPLETIVE DELETED) crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/my-party-is-going-bat-expletive-deleted-crazy/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) > [I'm a freakin' artist, man, not a (expletive) race horse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-m-a-freakin-artist-man-not-a-expletive-race-horse/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [ “When he was very excited, \[John Singer\] Sargent would rush at his canvas with his brush poised for attack, yelling, 'Demons, demons, demons!' When… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-davis/when-he-was-very-excited-john-singer-sargent-would-rush-at-his-canvas/) Deborah Davis > [“... there is a whole hell of a lot of knowledge about the (expletive removed) human condition that we are not ready for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/there-is-a-whole-hell-of-a-lot-of-knowledge-about-the-expletive/) [Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/) > [That's so when I forget how to spell my name, I can still find my (expletive) clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stu-grimson/that-s-so-when-i-forget-how-to-spell-my-name-i-can-still-find-my/) Stu Grimson > [ I don't think we're supposed to say \[expletive deleted\] anymore. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-sue-deconnick/i-don-t-think-we-re-supposed-to-say-expletive-deleted-anymore/) [Kelly Sue DeConnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-sue-deconnick/) > [“I am not aware of ever having used a profane expletive in my life; but I would have the charity to excuse those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/i-am-not-aware-of-ever-having-used-a-profane-expletive-in-my-life-but/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [You'll never see Spartacus in a (expletive) chair!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/you-ll-never-see-spartacus-in-a-expletive-chair/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [I think I would have taken a (expletive) load of Advil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-els/i-think-i-would-have-taken-a-expletive-load-of-advil/) [Ernie Els](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-els/) > [Conversation is a traffick; and if you enter into it, without some stock of knowledge, to ballance the account perpetually betwixtyou,--the trade drops at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/conversation-is-a-traffick-and-if-you-enter-into-it-without-some/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [A mind can be overthrown by words; that's the point. What is happening to the brain of a person who uses the passive, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mitchell/a-mind-can-be-overthrown-by-words-that-s-the-point-what-is-happening/) [Richard Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mitchell/) > [I've never been one to throw clubs, break clubs, or use bad language on the golf course. I've played with golfers who've done that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-black/i-ve-never-been-one-to-throw-clubs-break-clubs-or-use-bad-language-on/) [Lucas Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-black/) ## More by Colum McCann > [Give life long enough and it will solve all your problems, including the one of being alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/give-life-long-enough-and-it-will-solve-all-your-problems-including/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“There is something that happens to the mind in moments of terror. Perhaps we figure it's the last we'll ever have and we record…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/there-is-something-that-happens-to-the-mind-in-moments-of-terror/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“The short sharp shock of three thousand mother two hundred mothers. The ones who picked through the supermarket debris for pieces of their dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/the-short-sharp-shock-of-three-thousand-mother-two-hundred-mothers/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [I'm not so sure that I can teach people how to, you know, write dialogue or create plot or anything like that. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/i-m-not-so-sure-that-i-can-teach-people-how-to-you-know-write/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“Once we had filled each other with desire, not remembrance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/once-we-had-filled-each-other-with-desire-not-remembrance/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“How long ago it was and how strange, but all dead friends come to life again sometimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/how-long-ago-it-was-and-how-strange-but-all-dead-friends-come-to-life/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“She would want, instead, to recall him in the air, between layers of cloud. To give him back that ancient dignity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/she-would-want-instead-to-recall-him-in-the-air-between-layers-of/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [Novels are more difficult simply because they are longer and require more juggling, but short stories are closer to perfection, if you can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/novels-are-more-difficult-simply-because-they-are-longer-and-require/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [It was a silence that heard itself, awful and beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/it-was-a-silence-that-heard-itself-awful-and-beautiful/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [I think one of the biggest political failures, and the biggest social failures, over the past few years has been the failure of empathy;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/i-think-one-of-the-biggest-political-failures-and-the-biggest-social/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“Bits of it floating in the air, he said. "It's like dust. You walk about and don't see it, don't notice it, but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/bits-of-it-floating-in-the-air-he-said-it-s-like-dust-you-walk-about/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“He has read whole volumes on the philosophy of nonviolence. How peace had to be understood in all its moral dimensions. The proper coexistence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/he-has-read-whole-volumes-on-the-philosophy-of-nonviolence-how-peace/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“She’s always thought that one of the beauties of New York is that you can be from anywhere and within moments of landing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/she-s-always-thought-that-one-of-the-beauties-of-new-york-is-that-you/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [I'm of the opinion that the real is imagined and the imagined is quite real. The real is imagined, in the sense that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/i-m-of-the-opinion-that-the-real-is-imagined-and-the-imagined-is/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“She had that emigrant’s sadness—she would never go back to her old country—it was gone in more senses than one—but she was forever gazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/she-had-that-emigrant-s-sadness-she-would-never-go-back-to-her-old/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) [Explore all 333 Colum McCann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) ## More Bad language quotes > [I've never been one to throw clubs, break clubs, or use bad language on the golf course. I've played with golfers who've done that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-black/i-ve-never-been-one-to-throw-clubs-break-clubs-or-use-bad-language-on/) [Lucas Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-black/) > [A mind can be overthrown by words; that's the point. What is happening to the brain of a person who uses the passive, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mitchell/a-mind-can-be-overthrown-by-words-that-s-the-point-what-is-happening/) [Richard Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mitchell/) > [Conversation is a traffick; and if you enter into it, without some stock of knowledge, to ballance the account perpetually betwixtyou,--the trade drops at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/conversation-is-a-traffick-and-if-you-enter-into-it-without-some/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [“Because we're framily. You know, I love you, you love me? Like Barney only with bad language.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-cassidy/because-we-re-framily-you-know-i-love-you-you-love-me-like-barney/) [Dakota Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakota-cassidy/) > [If you treat others kindly then they will treat you kindly back . You should never talk to others back in bad language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shagufta-fareed/if-you-treat-others-kindly-then-they-will-treat-you-kindly-back-you/) Shagufta Fareed > [I am always being told off for using bad language but it's sort of lovely really, because it makes me think of my lovely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/i-am-always-being-told-off-for-using-bad-language-but-it-s-sort-of/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [We use so much bad language that it forms a barrier between ourselves and the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/we-use-so-much-bad-language-that-it-forms-a-barrier-between-ourselves/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“Yes, but bad language is bound to make in addition bad government, whereas good language is not bound to make bad government. That again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/yes-but-bad-language-is-bound-to-make-in-addition-bad-government/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [When the media's around, I try to be careful. I don't want to make a mistake or use bad language, and I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-nowitzki/when-the-media-s-around-i-try-to-be-careful-i-don-t-want-to-make-a/) [Dirk Nowitzki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-nowitzki/) > [All these years there had been a Tupperware container of bad language in her head, and now she opened it and all those crisp,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/all-these-years-there-had-been-a-tupperware-container-of-bad-language/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [The inflated style is itself a kind of euphemism. A mass of Latin words falls upon the facts like soft snow, blurring the outlines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-inflated-style-is-itself-a-kind-of-euphemism-a-mass-of-latin/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I don't want to do an edgy show, I didn't want bad language. I think edginess is the new hackiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/i-don-t-want-to-do-an-edgy-show-i-didn-t-want-bad-language-i-think/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [With today's movies, if we took out all the bad language, we'd go back to silent films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/with-today-s-movies-if-we-took-out-all-the-bad-language-we-d-go-back/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [People who cannot distinguish between good and bad language, or who regard the distinction as unimportant, are unlikely to think carefully about anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-who-cannot-distinguish-between-good-and-bad-language-or-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Language is our way of communicating what we want and who we are. By using bad language, we diminish the divine spark within us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/language-is-our-way-of-communicating-what-we-want-and-who-we-are-by/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) [Browse all 49 Bad language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-language/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...if he fell, well, he fell—but if he survived he would become a monument, not carved in stone or encased in brass, but one of those New York monuments that made you say: Can you believe it? With an expletive. There would always be an expletive in a New York sentence. Even from a judge. Soderberg was not fond of bad language, but he knew its value at the right time. 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