--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The honky-tonk bartender, who doubled as…" description: "\"“The honky-tonk bartender, who doubled as bouncer, waiter, and cashier, was in no mood to compromise. Mercy was not in him. He came out around the open..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/cornell-woolrich-2734_bar_the-honky-tonk-bartender-who-doubled-as_752089.jpg" --- # The honky-tonk bartender, who doubled as bouncer, waiter… ![“The honky-tonk bartender, who doubled as bouncer, waiter, and cashier, was in no mood to compromise. Mercy was not in him. He came out around the open end of the long counter, waddled threatening across the floor in a sullen, red-faced fury and began to shake the inanimate figure lying across the…” quote by Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/cornell-woolrich-2734_bar_the-honky-tonk-bartender-who-doubled-as_752089.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/cornell-woolrich-2734_bar_the-honky-tonk-bartender-who-doubled-as_752089.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/cornell-woolrich-2734_bar_the-honky-tonk-bartender-who-doubled-as_752089.jpg) > ““The honky-tonk bartender, who doubled as bouncer, waiter, and cashier, was in no mood to compromise. Mercy was not in him. He came out around the open end of the long counter, waddled threatening across the floor in a sullen, red-faced fury and began to shake the inanimate figure lying across the table with its head bedded on its arms. "Hey, you! Do your sleeping in the gutter!" If you gave these bums an inch; they took a yard. And this one was a particularly glaring example of the genus bar-fly. He was in here all the time like this, inhaling smoke and then doing a sunset across the table. He'd been in here since four this afternoon. The boss and he, who were partners in the joint - the bartender called it jernt - would have been the last ones to claim they were running a Rainbow Room, but at least they were trying to give the place a little class, keep it above the level of a Bowery smoke-house; they even paid a guy to pound the piano and a canary to warble three times a week. And then bums like this had to show up and give the place a bad look! He shook the recumbent figure again, more roughly than the first time. Shook him so violently that the whole reedy table under him rattled and threatened to collapse. "Come on, clear out, I said! Pay me for what you had and get outa here!" ("I'm Dangerous Tonight")”” [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A bartender’s cruelty and aggression reflect a hostile environment where power is exercised through intimidation. **In simple terms:** Bartender abuses power. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge abusive behavior. Themes power violence class tension urban decay Mood dark tense Type cautionary literary When to use this quote - nightclub settings - workplace harassment - urban nightlife Key Concepts authoritarianism social hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - What drives individuals to exert cruelty? - How can bystanders intervene safely? A Different Perspective Abuse may stem from personal frustration, not just authority. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bar/) [Bar Fly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bar-fly-5849338/) [Bartender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bartender/) [Bartender Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bartender-called-5849335/) [Bartender Doubled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bartender-doubled-5849337/) [Bums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bums/) [Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Three times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-times/) [Tonk Bartender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tonk-bartender-5849336/) ## Related quotes > [“As the bartender struck a match to light her cigarette, she put her hand on his wrist to steady it. Travis saw him jump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/as-the-bartender-struck-a-match-to-light-her-cigarette-she-put-her/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [Bums warm theyre weary souls over warm flames. Junkie cant find God watch him find his vein. Preacher walk right by-like he aint see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-krit/bums-warm-theyre-weary-souls-over-warm-flames-junkie-cant-find-god/) [Big KRIT](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-krit/) > [It's about bums on seats. If nobody wants to listen to what you are doing, it kind of defeats the purpose really, doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-grant/it-s-about-bums-on-seats-if-nobody-wants-to-listen-to-what-you-are/) [James Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-grant/) > [There are times when I think, if I were a bit more famous, life could be easier in terms of work because producers want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hanson/there-are-times-when-i-think-if-i-were-a-bit-more-famous-life-could/) [Alexander Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hanson/) > [I love legs, bums and tums classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-anne-pinnock/i-love-legs-bums-and-tums-classes/) [Leigh-Anne Pinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-anne-pinnock/) > [“All my friends are bums. We all gather round our camp-fire (in a can) and sing songs of togetherness as we cuddle, to preserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/all-my-friends-are-bums-we-all-gather-round-our-camp-fire-in-a-can/) [Will Advise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-advise/) > [“Some men’s chests are more buttlike than some women’s butts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-men-s-chests-are-more-buttlike-than-some-women-s-butts/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Biscuit eaters never leave any crumbs, that is why they have bigger bums!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/biscuit-eaters-never-leave-any-crumbs-that-is-why-they-have-bigger/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“In other countries, art and literature are left to a lot of shabby bums living in attics and feeding on booze and spaghetti.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/in-other-countries-art-and-literature-are-left-to-a-lot-of-shabby-2/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > ['The Godfather' was the glorification of a bunch of bums who never existed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/the-godfather-was-the-glorification-of-a-bunch-of-bums-who-never/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [I don't want to be that guy on some set he doesn't want to be on. It just bums everybody out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-grimes/i-don-t-want-to-be-that-guy-on-some-set-he-doesn-t-want-to-be-on-it/) [Luke Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-grimes/) > [“You wonder what had happened, when a feller like that, in a place like that, talked of a childhood that might have as easily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-badyna/you-wonder-what-had-happened-when-a-feller-like-that-in-a-place-like/) [T.D. Badyna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-badyna/) > [“Bums are called bums because they sit on their ass all day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/bums-are-called-bums-because-they-sit-on-their-ass-all-day/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [We just wanna be the happy bums that we are. That's all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-patton/we-just-wanna-be-the-happy-bums-that-we-are-that-s-all/) [Mike Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-patton/) > [Shee, you guys are so unhip it's a wonder your bums don't fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/shee-you-guys-are-so-unhip-it-s-a-wonder-your-bums-don-t-fall-off/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## More by Cornell Woolrich > [“He should have caught up with me inside of fifteen minutes at the outside, if he'd been able to get on the next train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-should-have-caught-up-with-me-inside-of-fifteen-minutes-at-the/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Home? What is home? Home is where a house is that you come back to when the rainy season is about to begin, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/home-what-is-home-home-is-where-a-house-is-that-you-come-back-to-when/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Gates got up, but not fast or jerkily, with the same slowness that had always characterized him. He wiped the sweat off his palms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/gates-got-up-but-not-fast-or-jerkily-with-the-same-slowness-that-had/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“As the bartender struck a match to light her cigarette, she put her hand on his wrist to steady it. Travis saw him jump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/as-the-bartender-struck-a-match-to-light-her-cigarette-she-put-her/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“That was enough dialogue for a few pages - he had to get into some fast, red-hot action. There weren't any more hitches now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/that-was-enough-dialogue-for-a-few-pages-he-had-to-get-into-some-fast/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Murder is such an elastic term, isn't it? ("Mind Over Murder")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/murder-is-such-an-elastic-term-isn-t-it-mind-over-murder/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“She was beautiful, only hers was the dark beauty of night, just as Sherry's was the bright beauty of daytime. Her hair was raven-black,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-was-beautiful-only-hers-was-the-dark-beauty-of-night-just-as/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And I still say it was just a coincidence;' he muttered pugnaciously. 'You say it too! Look at me and say it! It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-i-still-say-it-was-just-a-coincidence-he-muttered-pugnaciously/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And then finally she came - and the whole world faded out around us and we were just alone on the crowded sidewalk. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-then-finally-she-came-and-the-whole-world-faded-out-around-us-and/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“One of the two owners, the man who had been sitting in the front room, was stretched out in there asleep, stockinged-toes pointed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/one-of-the-two-owners-the-man-who-had-been-sitting-in-the-front-room/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“But that's the Way, and there is no other. And once his mind's made up, the trembling and aimless walking stops, and he can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/but-that-s-the-way-and-there-is-no-other-and-once-his-mind-s-made-up/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“He just lingers long enough to see his plane put to bed properly, then grabs a cab at the airport-gate. "The Settlement" and forgetting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-just-lingers-long-enough-to-see-his-plane-put-to-bed-properly-then/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“There was a pause, while I fought against this other, lesser kind of death that was creeping over me - this death called strangeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/there-was-a-pause-while-i-fought-against-this-other-lesser-kind-of/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Every life is a mystery. And every story of every life is a mystery. But it is not what happens that is the mystery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/every-life-is-a-mystery-and-every-story-of-every-life-is-a-mystery/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Evans made himself their spokesman. "Charlie and Joe," he offered. "Remember us? We brought a friend back with us this time." Girls evidently didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/evans-made-himself-their-spokesman-charlie-and-joe-he-offered/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) [Explore all 152 Cornell Woolrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## More Bar quotes > [If you're a Firefox user, you get accustomed to your history and the URL bar and finding things. That should be available on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-baker/if-you-re-a-firefox-user-you-get-accustomed-to-your-history-and-the/) [Mitchell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-baker/) > [My songs have a lot going on in them -they're packed with sounds. When I have only three or four minutes to capture something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-heap/my-songs-have-a-lot-going-on-in-them-they-re-packed-with-sounds-when/) [Imogen Heap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-heap/) > [It is absolutely critical for competitiveness in the United States for us to really raise the bar in education, especially in math, in science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/safra-a-catz/it-is-absolutely-critical-for-competitiveness-in-the-united-states/) [Safra A. Catz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/safra-a-catz/) > [In the bar and restaurant industry, you're always one idea away from your next quarter-million.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-taffer/in-the-bar-and-restaurant-industry-you-re-always-one-idea-away-from/) [Jon Taffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-taffer/) > [If you listen to Drake's first single... he copied my whole bar word for word and my cadence and my flow from my song.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soulja-boy/if-you-listen-to-drake-s-first-single-he-copied-my-whole-bar-word-for/) [Soulja Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soulja-boy/) > [I don't want to make 'Chandni Bar 2.' I didn't think 'Fashion 2' will happen. 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I have my iPad, which is my favorite instrument of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teri-hatcher/i-went-to-a-restaurant-and-sat-at-the-bar-and-ate-by-myself-i-have-my/) [Teri Hatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teri-hatcher/) > [“The judicial wheel is rounded with equality, oiled with honour and functions smoothly with honesty – principally when both members of the Bench and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munindra-misra/the-judicial-wheel-is-rounded-with-equality-oiled-with-honour-and/) [Munindra Misra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munindra-misra/) > [A bar is a factory, a marketing organization, and a service organization all in one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-taffer/a-bar-is-a-factory-a-marketing-organization-and-a-service/) [Jon Taffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-taffer/) > [If you see me or another model in a bar, wait until you are spoken to before you speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hart/if-you-see-me-or-another-model-in-a-bar-wait-until-you-are-spoken-to/) [Jessica Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hart/) > [I don't get much sense of reward from having discovered how to get the Foo card to coexist with the Bar card.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-zawinski/i-don-t-get-much-sense-of-reward-from-having-discovered-how-to-get/) [Jamie Zawinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-zawinski/) [Browse all 386 Bar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The honky-tonk bartender, who doubled as bouncer, waiter, and cashier, was in no mood to compromise. Mercy was not in him. He came out around the open end of the long counter, waddled threatening across the floor in a sullen, red-faced fury and began to shake the inanimate figure lying across the table with its head bedded on its arms. \"Hey, you! Do your sleeping in the gutter!\" If you gave these bums an inch; they took a yard. And this one was a particularly glaring example of the genus bar-fly. He was in here all the time like this, inhaling smoke and then doing a sunset across the table. He'd been in here since four this afternoon. The boss and he, who were partners in the joint - the bartender called it jernt - would have been the last ones to claim they were running a Rainbow Room, but at least they were trying to give the place a little class, keep it above the level of a Bowery smoke-house; they even paid a guy to pound the piano and a canary to warble three times a week. And then bums like this had to show up and give the place a bad look! He shook the recumbent figure again, more roughly than the first time. Shook him so violently that the whole reedy table under him rattled and threatened to collapse. \"Come on, clear out, I said! Pay me for what you had and get outa here!\" (\"I'm Dangerous Tonight\")”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cornell Woolrich" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/the-honky-tonk-bartender-who-doubled-as-bouncer-waiter-and-cashier/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bar" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/the-honky-tonk-bartender-who-doubled-as-bouncer-waiter-and-cashier/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/cornell-woolrich-2734_bar_the-honky-tonk-bartender-who-doubled-as_752089.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/cornell-woolrich-2734_bar_the-honky-tonk-bartender-who-doubled-as_752089.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab6/cornell-woolrich-2734_bar_the-honky-tonk-bartender-who-doubled-as_752089.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The honky-tonk bartender, who doubled as bouncer, waiter, and cashier, was in no mood to compromise. 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