--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: an old Underwood office machine so big…" description: "\"“an old Underwood office machine so big and black and ancient it looked as though it should come with a foreign correspondent attached.”\" — Donald E. W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ed/donald-e-westlake-4285_computers_an-old-underwood-office-machine-so-big-a_1424115.jpg" --- # an old Underwood office machine so big and black and… ![“an old Underwood office machine so big and black and ancient it looked as though it should come with a foreign correspondent attached.” quote by Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ed/donald-e-westlake-4285_computers_an-old-underwood-office-machine-so-big-a_1424115.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ed/donald-e-westlake-4285_computers_an-old-underwood-office-machine-so-big-a_1424115.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ed/donald-e-westlake-4285_computers_an-old-underwood-office-machine-so-big-a_1424115.jpg) > ““an old Underwood office machine so big and black and ancient it looked as though it should come with a foreign correspondent attached.”” [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The description evokes a massive, outdated office machine that feels as if it belongs to a different era, hinting at its cumbersome nature and perhaps its obsolescence. **In simple terms:** A huge, old-fashioned office machine feels out of place. Key Takeaway Recognize when tools become outdated. Themes technology nostalgia bureaucracy Mood reflective melancholic Type descriptive literary When to use this quote - office settings - archival research - museum curation - creative writing Key Concepts industrial design obsolescence historical context Questions to Reflect On - How does outdated technology affect productivity? - What emotions does such a relic evoke? A Different Perspective The machine may symbolize resistance to change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) ## Related quotes > [“An office is a machine for dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-aylett/an-office-is-a-machine-for-dying/) [Steve Aylett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-aylett/) > [The universe looks less like a big machine than a big thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-radin/the-universe-looks-less-like-a-big-machine-than-a-big-thought/) [Dean Radin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-radin/) > [“You grew up, became a man, had to adjust to taking less than you hoped for; you discovered the dream-machine had a big OUT…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/you-grew-up-became-a-man-had-to-adjust-to-taking-less-than-you-hoped/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was a little, little kid, my family got a new washing machine, and they had a big box that was left over.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-reynor/when-i-was-a-little-little-kid-my-family-got-a-new-washing-machine/) [Jack Reynor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-reynor/) > [It wasn't something I started off in my teens or early twenties thinking I want to be a war correspondent. 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