--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My mamma and I have interesting literary…" description: "\"“My mamma and I have interesting literary discussions like the following which took place over some Modern Library books that I had just ordered: SHE: ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/flannery-o-connor-639_idiot_my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary_590830.png" --- # My mamma and I have interesting literary discussions like… ![“My mamma and I have interesting literary discussions like the following which took place over some Modern Library books that I had just ordered: SHE: “Mobby Dick. I’ve always heard about that.” ME: “Mow-by Dick.” SHE: “Mow-by Dick. The Idiot. You would get something called Idiot. What’s it about?”…” quote by Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/flannery-o-connor-639_idiot_my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary_590830.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/flannery-o-connor-639_idiot_my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary_590830.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/flannery-o-connor-639_idiot_my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary_590830.png) > ““My mamma and I have interesting literary discussions like the following which took place over some Modern Library books that I had just ordered: SHE: “Mobby Dick. I’ve always heard about that.” ME: “Mow-by Dick.” SHE: “Mow-by Dick. The Idiot. You would get something called Idiot. What’s it about?” ME: “An idiot.”” [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A humorous exchange shows how mishearing titles can lead to absurd interpretations, highlighting the quirks of oral communication. **In simple terms:** Misunderstanding titles can create funny confusion. Key Takeaway Listen carefully and clarify when unsure. Themes communication humor misunderstanding Mood lighthearted playful Type anecdotal conversational When to use this quote - reading clubs - family conversations - online forums - teaching literature Key Concepts language play interpretation literary discussion Questions to Reflect On - How does mishearing affect learning? - What role does humor play in discussions? A Different Perspective The anecdote may not reflect broader literary insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-idiot-968836/) [Dick Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dick-idiot-4836010/) [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) [Idiot Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot-called-4836009/) [Literary Discussions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-discussions-3095434/) ## Related quotes > [The latest literary discussions reflect a struggle between two artistic methods - romanticism and realism, with the latter clearly ascendant for the time being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-zamyatin/the-latest-literary-discussions-reflect-a-struggle-between-two/) [Yevgeny Zamyatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-zamyatin/) > [“You just called me an idiot and told me you need me in the same breath," I laughed. God, she was amazing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genna-rulon/you-just-called-me-an-idiot-and-told-me-you-need-me-in-the-same/) [Genna Rulon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genna-rulon/) > [We didn't even have a T.V. in my house until I was 13. My dad called it the 'idiot box.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-yoba/we-didn-t-even-have-a-t-v-in-my-house-until-i-was-13-my-dad-called-it/) [Malik Yoba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-yoba/) > [He wondered how it could have taken him so long to realize he cared for her, and he told her so, and she called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/he-wondered-how-it-could-have-taken-him-so-long-to-realize-he-cared/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Forgive me…I called you an idiot. I spoke too hastily. You are not. Had I given it more thought, I would have called you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/forgive-me-i-called-you-an-idiot-i-spoke-too-hastily-you-are-not-had/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [It's kind of an embarrassing story - that's why it's called 'The Idiot.' But looking back at your past self, you see that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/it-s-kind-of-an-embarrassing-story-that-s-why-it-s-called-the-idiot/) [Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/) > [“Who called the idiot brigade?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuki-takaya/who-called-the-idiot-brigade/) [Natsuki Takaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuki-takaya/) > [“first, he called idiot savant. The type of person who is so smart in his or her field of expertise that their mind is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-flynn/first-he-called-idiot-savant-the-type-of-person-who-is-so-smart-in/) [Vince Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-flynn/) > [I don't even remember why I called myself an idiot. I can be very harshly critical of myself. It depends on my mood, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-don-t-even-remember-why-i-called-myself-an-idiot-i-can-be-very/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [When President Ronald Reagan asked me a stupid question once, I called him an idiot in public! I thought I was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bikram-choudhury/when-president-ronald-reagan-asked-me-a-stupid-question-once-i-called/) [Bikram Choudhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bikram-choudhury/) > [People who got on their feet and freaked about were called idiot dancers. and nobody wants to be called an idiot dancer. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-marriott/people-who-got-on-their-feet-and-freaked-about-were-called-idiot/) [Steve Marriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-marriott/) > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [You have to be an idiot to run out of gas…I just did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-burke/you-have-to-be-an-idiot-to-run-out-of-gas-i-just-did/) [Brooke Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-burke/) > [Thirty guys equals five percent die-off among active wingsuit base jumpers. That means there's a flaw in our system and you're an idiot if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/thirty-guys-equals-five-percent-die-off-among-active-wingsuit-base/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) ## More by Flannery O'Connor > [“Wait here, wait here!" he cried and jumped up and began to run for help toward a cluster of lights he saw in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/wait-here-wait-here-he-cried-and-jumped-up-and-began-to-run-for-help/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [... the man in the violent situation reveals those qualities least dispensable in his personality, those qualities which are all he will have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/the-man-in-the-violent-situation-reveals-those-qualities-least/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“I don’t know how to cure the source-itis except to tell you that I can discover a good many possible sources myself for Wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/i-don-t-know-how-to-cure-the-source-itis-except-to-tell-you-that-i/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/for-the-fiction-writer-himself-the-whole-story-is-the-meaning-because/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [Everything that gave her pleasure was small and depressed him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/everything-that-gave-her-pleasure-was-small-and-depressed-him/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [To the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/to-the-hard-of-hearing-you-shout-and-for-the-almost-blind-you-draw/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“He felt his hunger no longer as a pain but as a tide. He felt it rising in himself through time and darkness, rising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/he-felt-his-hunger-no-longer-as-a-pain-but-as-a-tide-he-felt-it/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going to never was there, and where you are is no good unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/where-you-come-from-is-gone-where-you-thought-you-were-going-to-never/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [Technique in the minds of many is something rigid, something like a formula that you impose on the material; but in the best stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/technique-in-the-minds-of-many-is-something-rigid-something-like-a/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“There are all kinds of truth ... but behind all of them there is only one truth and that is that there's no truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/there-are-all-kinds-of-truth-but-behind-all-of-them-there-is-only-one/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“Mrs. May winced. She thought the word Jesus should be kept inside the church building like other words inside the bedroom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/mrs-may-winced-she-thought-the-word-jesus-should-be-kept-inside-the/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [I feel that discussing story-writing in terms of plot, character, and theme is like trying to describe the expression on a face by saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/i-feel-that-discussing-story-writing-in-terms-of-plot-character-and/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [She had observed that the more education they got, the less they could do. Their father had gone to a one-room schoolhouse through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/she-had-observed-that-the-more-education-they-got-the-less-they-could/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [One of the awful things about writing when you are a Christian is that for you the ultimate reality is the Incarnation, the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/one-of-the-awful-things-about-writing-when-you-are-a-christian-is/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“Hazel Motes sat at a forward angel on the green plush train seat, looking one minute at the window as if he might want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/hazel-motes-sat-at-a-forward-angel-on-the-green-plush-train-seat/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) [Explore all 432 Flannery O'Connor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) ## More Idiot quotes > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [Thirty guys equals five percent die-off among active wingsuit base jumpers. That means there's a flaw in our system and you're an idiot if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/thirty-guys-equals-five-percent-die-off-among-active-wingsuit-base/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [You have to be an idiot to run out of gas…I just did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-burke/you-have-to-be-an-idiot-to-run-out-of-gas-i-just-did/) [Brooke Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-burke/) > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [I need to look like an idiot at least twice a day to keep myself humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-need-to-look-like-an-idiot-at-least-twice-a-day-to-keep-myself/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [“But no idiot-proofing can overcome a determined idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-weir/but-no-idiot-proofing-can-overcome-a-determined-idiot/) [Andy Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-weir/) > [One or two years ago, I didn't know who I was on court and I used to swear a lot. But now I've learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-federer/one-or-two-years-ago-i-didn-t-know-who-i-was-on-court-and-i-used-to/) [Roger Federer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-federer/) > [“He came for me. I couldn’t believe it. He came for me . Into a flying palace full of thousands of armed rakshasas in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/he-came-for-me-i-couldn-t-believe-it-he-came-for-me-into-a-flying/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [Without sounding like a right idiot, my mum and my dad are my role models. They devoted everything to my sister and me -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/without-sounding-like-a-right-idiot-my-mum-and-my-dad-are-my-role/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [“The woman may be a biomedical engineer, but I begin to think that she is a certifiable idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-khoury/the-woman-may-be-a-biomedical-engineer-but-i-begin-to-think-that-she/) [Jessica Khoury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-khoury/) > [“Knowledge cannot replace friendship. I'd rather be an idiot than lose you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-to-spongebob/knowledge-cannot-replace-friendship-i-d-rather-be-an-idiot-than-lose/) [Patrick to Spongebob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-to-spongebob/) > [Solemnity is the shield of idiots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/solemnity-is-the-shield-of-idiots/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’ve noticed that you are retarded, Dr. Phil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-leigh-stewart/i-ve-noticed-that-you-are-retarded-dr-phil/) [Christy Leigh Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-leigh-stewart/) > [“You heard what she said, idiot. She’s not dating, especially not a man her uptight daddy can’t stand the sight of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/codi-gary/you-heard-what-she-said-idiot-she-s-not-dating-especially-not-a-man/) [Codi Gary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/codi-gary/) [Browse all 2,115 Idiot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My mamma and I have interesting literary discussions like the following which took place over some Modern Library books that I had just ordered: SHE: “Mobby Dick. I’ve always heard about that.” ME: “Mow-by Dick.” SHE: “Mow-by Dick. The Idiot. You would get something called Idiot. What’s it about?” ME: “An idiot.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Flannery O'Connor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary-discussions-like-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Idiot" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary-discussions-like-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/flannery-o-connor-639_idiot_my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary_590830.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/flannery-o-connor-639_idiot_my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary_590830.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/flannery-o-connor-639_idiot_my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary_590830.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My mamma and I have interesting literary discussions like the following which took place over some Modern…” — Flannery O'Connor", "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": "Flannery O'Connor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“My mamma and I have interesting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary-discussions-like-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/my-mamma-and-i-have-interesting-literary-discussions-like-the/#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 } } ] } ```