--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To swipe the immortal lines uttered by…" description: "\"“To swipe the immortal lines uttered by Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, a great mystery should take \"the lid off life and let [you] look at the works...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/dashiell-hammett-3863_life_to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-s_2634013.png" --- # To swipe the immortal lines uttered by Sam Spade in The… ![“To swipe the immortal lines uttered by Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, a great mystery should take "the lid off life and let [you] look at the works.” quote by Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/dashiell-hammett-3863_life_to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-s_2634013.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/dashiell-hammett-3863_life_to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-s_2634013.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/dashiell-hammett-3863_life_to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-s_2634013.png) > ““To swipe the immortal lines uttered by Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, a great mystery should take "the lid off life and let \[you\] look at the works.”” [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mysteries should strip away superficialities to reveal deeper truths about life. **In simple terms:** Mysteries uncover life's hidden realities. Key Takeaway Seek truth beyond appearances. Themes mystery truth philosophy Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - crime investigation - literary analysis - personal introspection Key Concepts detective fiction existential inquiry Questions to Reflect On - What does “the lid off life” mean to you? - How can mystery reveal personal truths? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on mystery can overlook everyday nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Maltese Falcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maltese-falcon/) [Sam spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sam-spade/) ## Related quotes > [“I certainly wish you would have invented a more reasonable story. I felt distinctly like an idiot repeating it." Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-certainly-wish-you-would-have-invented-a-more-reasonable-story-i/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Brigid: I haven't lived a good life - I've been bad, worse than you could know. Spade: That's good, because if you actually were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/brigid-i-haven-t-lived-a-good-life-i-ve-been-bad-worse-than-you-could/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“Sam Spade is as gray as the economic skies over America and moves through the story as cool and slick as a Teflon cat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sullivan/sam-spade-is-as-gray-as-the-economic-skies-over-america-and-moves/) Stephen Sullivan > [“I couldn't be fonder of you if you were my own son. But, well, if you lose a son, its possible to get another.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-couldn-t-be-fonder-of-you-if-you-were-my-own-son-but-well-if-you-2/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“Gutman smiled benignly at him and said: “Well, Wilmer, I’m sorry indeed to lose you, and I want you to know that I couldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/gutman-smiled-benignly-at-him-and-said-well-wilmer-i-m-sorry-indeed/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [I couldn't be fonder of you if you were my own son. But, well, if you lose a son, its possible to get another.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-couldn-t-be-fonder-of-you-if-you-were-my-own-son-but-well-if-you/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [When a man's partner is killed he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/when-a-man-s-partner-is-killed-he-s-supposed-to-do-something-about-it/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“I hope they don't hang you, precious, by that sweet neck. Yes, angel, I'm gonna send you over. The chances are you'll get off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-hope-they-don-t-hang-you-precious-by-that-sweet-neck-yes-angel-i-m/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Brigid O'Shaughnessy: “I haven't lived a good life. I've been bad, worse than you could know.” Sam Spade “You know, that's good, because if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/brigid-o-shaughnessy-i-haven-t-lived-a-good-life-i-ve-been-bad-worse/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Joel Cairo: You always have a very smooth explanation ready. Sam Spade: What do you want me to do, learn to stutter?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/joel-cairo-you-always-have-a-very-smooth-explanation-ready-sam-spade/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Samuel Spade's jaw was long and bony, his chin a jutting v under the more flexible v of his mouth. His nostrils curved back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/samuel-spade-s-jaw-was-long-and-bony-his-chin-a-jutting-v-under-the/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“That's wonderful. I do like a man that tells you right out he’s looking out for himself. Don’t we all? I don’t trust a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/that-s-wonderful-i-do-like-a-man-that-tells-you-right-out-he-s/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [When I was a teenager, I was a voracious reader of crime fiction, but only contemporary books. I was not interested in reading 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/when-i-was-a-teenager-i-was-a-voracious-reader-of-crime-fiction-but-2/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [Here's the point - and Jonah Goldberg reminds us of this. He wrote a blog post that was titled "The MacGuffinization of American Politics."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/here-s-the-point-and-jonah-goldberg-reminds-us-of-this-he-wrote-a/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Sydney and I made so many pictures together we were becoming Abbott and Costello, so we broke up. You know Greenstreet was a comedian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lorre/sydney-and-i-made-so-many-pictures-together-we-were-becoming-abbott/) [Peter Lorre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lorre/) ## More by Dashiell Hammett > [It's sometimes better to pretend I don't hear the sound of somebody in the nearby woods with a shotgun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/it-s-sometimes-better-to-pretend-i-don-t-hear-the-sound-of-somebody/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“This damned burg's getting me. If I don't get away soon I'll be going blood-simple like the natives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/this-damned-burg-s-getting-me-if-i-don-t-get-away-soon-i-ll-be-going/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“You know Quinn?" Macaulay asked me. "Ten minutes ago I was putting him to bed." Macaulay grinned. "I hope you keep his acquaintance like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/you-know-quinn-macaulay-asked-me-ten-minutes-ago-i-was-putting-him-to/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“Gutman smiled benignly at him and said: “Well, Wilmer, I’m sorry indeed to lose you, and I want you to know that I couldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/gutman-smiled-benignly-at-him-and-said-well-wilmer-i-m-sorry-indeed/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“...I guess I can put two and two together." "Sometimes the answer's four," I said, "and sometimes it's twenty-two...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-guess-i-can-put-two-and-two-together-sometimes-the-answer-s-four-i/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Nora: "How do you feel?" Nick: "Terrible. I must've gone to bed sober.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-must-ve-gone-to-bed-sober/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [A lot of fancier yarns come from people trying to tell the truth. It’s not easy once you’re out of the habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/a-lot-of-fancier-yarns-come-from-people-trying-to-tell-the-truth-it-s/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Three times I have been mistaken for a prohibition agent, but never had any trouble clearing myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/three-times-i-have-been-mistaken-for-a-prohibition-agent-but-never/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Listen, Dundy, it's been a long time since I burst into tears because a policeman didn't like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/listen-dundy-it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-burst-into-tears-because-a/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“...What do people think about my staying with Harrison with him chasing everything that's hot and hollow?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/what-do-people-think-about-my-staying-with-harrison-with-him-chasing/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“Don't be so damned patronizing. Your performance so far has been a little less than dazzling." "I didn't mean no harm," I said and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/don-t-be-so-damned-patronizing-your-performance-so-far-has-been-a/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [...What disturbed him was the discovery that in sensibly ordering his affairs he had got out of step, and not into step, with Life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/what-disturbed-him-was-the-discovery-that-in-sensibly-ordering-his/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [I haven't any sort of plans for the future but I reckon things will work out in some manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-haven-t-any-sort-of-plans-for-the-future-but-i-reckon-things-will/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [To get what he wanted, a man had to give other people what they wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/to-get-what-he-wanted-a-man-had-to-give-other-people-what-they-wanted/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [He felt like somebody had taken the lid off life and let him see the works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/he-felt-like-somebody-had-taken-the-lid-off-life-and-let-him-see-the/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) [Explore all 119 Dashiell Hammett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To swipe the immortal lines uttered by Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, a great mystery should take \"the lid off life and let [you] look at the works.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dashiell Hammett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-sam-spade-in-the-maltese/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-sam-spade-in-the-maltese/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/dashiell-hammett-3863_life_to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-s_2634013.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/dashiell-hammett-3863_life_to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-s_2634013.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/dashiell-hammett-3863_life_to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-s_2634013.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To swipe the immortal lines uttered by Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, a great mystery should take \"the lid…” — Dashiell Hammett", "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": "Dashiell Hammett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To swipe the immortal lines uttered...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-sam-spade-in-the-maltese/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/to-swipe-the-immortal-lines-uttered-by-sam-spade-in-the-maltese/#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 } } ] } ```