---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I just want to apologise for being late…"
description: "\"I just want to apologise for being late. I was flying back from Spain and the air hostess said: \"We are two hours late Mr Carson.\" When I asked why, sh..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/frank-carson-11804_air_i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late_2455381.png"
---

#  I just want to apologise for being late. I was flying back…

![“I just want to apologise for being late. I was flying back from Spain and the air hostess said: &quot;We are two hours late Mr Carson.&quot; When I asked why, she said: &quot;The pilot has heard a funny noise in the engine that he doesn't like, so we are waiting on another pilot who can't hear it.&quot;” quote by Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/frank-carson-11804_air_i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late_2455381.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/frank-carson-11804_air_i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late_2455381.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/frank-carson-11804_air_i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late_2455381.png)

> “I just want to apologise for being late. I was flying back from Spain and the air hostess said: "We are two hours late Mr Carson." When I asked why, she said: "The pilot has heard a funny noise in the engine that he doesn't like, so we are waiting on another pilot who can't hear it."”

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He apologizes for being late, blaming a humorous excuse about a pilot who dislikes a noise.

**In simple terms:** He offers a funny, absurd reason for the delay.

Key Takeaway

Use humor to defuse inconvenience.

Themes

apology humor delay absurdity communication

Mood

lighthearted self‑deprecating

Type

comedic social

When to use this quote

- travel
- public speaking
- event planning
- customer interaction

Key Concepts

comedic timing social etiquette customer service

Questions to Reflect On

- When is humor appropriate in apologies?
- How does absurdity affect audience perception?

A Different Perspective

The joke may seem dismissive of genuine inconvenience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) [Apologise Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologise-late-605010/) [Engines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engines/) [Flying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flying/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Hostesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostesses/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late/) [Late Flying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late-flying-605009/) [Noise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noise/) [Pilot Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilot-heard-605012/) [Pilots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilots/) [Plane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plane/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said Pilot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-pilot-605011/) [Spain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spain/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Waiting Pilot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-pilot-605013/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/)

## Related quotes

> [“Later, when people started telling the story, they always said that Pilot found the letter...but made no attempt to stop it. If it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-billedeaux/later-when-people-started-telling-the-story-they-always-said-that/)

[A.C. Billedeaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-billedeaux/)

> [New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani fired his wife, Donna Hanover, as official hostess of the mayor's mansion last weekend. He's got his own idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/argus-hamilton/new-york-mayor-rudy-giuliani-fired-his-wife-donna-hanover-as-official/)

[Argus Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/argus-hamilton/)

> [Cold soup is a very tricky thing and it is a rare hostess who can carry it off. More often than not the dinner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/cold-soup-is-a-very-tricky-thing-and-it-is-a-rare-hostess-who-can/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [Natalie Spenser was giving a dinner. She was not an easy hostess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/natalie-spenser-was-giving-a-dinner-she-was-not-an-easy-hostess/)

[Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/)

> [The only occasion when the traditions of courtesy permit a hostess to help herself before a woman guest is when she has reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-post/the-only-occasion-when-the-traditions-of-courtesy-permit-a-hostess-to/)

[Emily Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-post/)

> [Airline hostesses show you how to use a seatbelt in case you haven't been in a car since 1965.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/airline-hostesses-show-you-how-to-use-a-seatbelt-in-case-you-haven-t/)

[Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/)

> [All real democracy is an attempt like that of a jolly hostess to bring the shy people out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/all-real-democracy-is-an-attempt-like-that-of-a-jolly-hostess-to/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

> [I realized that being an actor was something I never owned up to, in a weird way. I would be a hostess or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-realized-that-being-an-actor-was-something-i-never-owned-up-to-in-a/)

[Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/)

> [My father was prime minister, and to take care of his home, to be his hostess, automatically meant to have my hands in politics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/my-father-was-prime-minister-and-to-take-care-of-his-home-to-be-his/)

[Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/)

> [“For a moment, Pamela watched her friend. Although she was one of several hostesses who were greeting the guests, Elizabeth drew all eyes with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-holland/for-a-moment-pamela-watched-her-friend-although-she-was-one-of/)

[Debra Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-holland/)

> [A guest is really good or bad because of the host or hostess who makes being a guest an easy or a difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/a-guest-is-really-good-or-bad-because-of-the-host-or-hostess-who/)

[Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/)

> [I was never a nightclub manager or a hostess. I want to make that very clear. I was an executive at my club. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-uchitel/i-was-never-a-nightclub-manager-or-a-hostess-i-want-to-make-that-very/)

[Rachel Uchitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-uchitel/)

> [Thirteen at a table is unlucky only, when the hostess has only twelve chops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/thirteen-at-a-table-is-unlucky-only-when-the-hostess-has-only-twelve/)

[Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/)

> [Finally ... You have accomplished your mission in going there tonight - you were 'seen,' and you furnished your host and hostess with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-baldrige/finally-you-have-accomplished-your-mission-in-going-there-tonight-you/)

[Letitia Baldrige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-baldrige/)

> [Don't think of Diana Vreeland's memoir as a book; it's more like a lunch. A bit of souffle, a glass of champagne, some green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-mcguigan/don-t-think-of-diana-vreeland-s-memoir-as-a-book-it-s-more-like-a/)

[Cathleen McGuigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-mcguigan/)

## More by Frank Carson

> [I was in the Far East and I went into a restaurant and I ordered octopus and the waiter said: "It takes four hours."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-was-in-the-far-east-and-i-went-into-a-restaurant-and-i-ordered/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [Have you heard about the Irishman who reversed into a car boot sale and sold the engine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/have-you-heard-about-the-irishman-who-reversed-into-a-car-boot-sale/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [I come from a family of musicians. Even the sewing machine is a Singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-come-from-a-family-of-musicians-even-the-sewing-machine-is-a-singer/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [The council in Blackpool have given the homeless bus passes, but how would they know where to get off?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/the-council-in-blackpool-have-given-the-homeless-bus-passes-but-how/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [The Irish Six Million Dollar man only cost three quid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/the-irish-six-million-dollar-man-only-cost-three-quid/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [A girl asks her doctor, "Doctor, I've forgotten to take my contradictory pill!" The doctor says: "Are you ignorant?" The girl says: "Yes, three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/a-girl-asks-her-doctor-doctor-i-ve-forgotten-to-take-my-contradictory/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [I'm staying in a lovely hotel, dressing robe behind the door, lovely fluffy sheets - took me a half an hour getting my suitcase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-m-staying-in-a-lovely-hotel-dressing-robe-behind-the-door-lovely/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [I'm really worried about my girlfriend's morals ... she has NEXT written on her knickers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-m-really-worried-about-my-girlfriend-s-morals-she-has-next-written/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [A man walks into a hospital feeling unwell and the doctor says: "Sorry, you've only got three minutes to live." The man said: "Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/a-man-walks-into-a-hospital-feeling-unwell-and-the-doctor-says-sorry/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [My wife went into the butchers and said: "You've a sheep's head in your window." The butcher said: "That's a mirror."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/my-wife-went-into-the-butchers-and-said-you-ve-a-sheep-s-head-in-your/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [I am accusing him of stealing my best material, he was a very funny man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-am-accusing-him-of-stealing-my-best-material-he-was-a-very-funny-man/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [My idea for peace in the Middle East is to go back to the 1966 line, but to build even more houses for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/my-idea-for-peace-in-the-middle-east-is-to-go-back-to-the-1966-line/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [A man says to his mate: "My wife is a twin." His mate says, "How do you tell them apart?" The man says: "Her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/a-man-says-to-his-mate-my-wife-is-a-twin-his-mate-says-how-do-you/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [A man up in front of a judge says "I don't recognise this court." "Why not?" "It's been redecorated since the last time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/a-man-up-in-front-of-a-judge-says-i-don-t-recognise-this-court-why/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [My Irish mate told me, if you file down the edges of a 50 pence piece, you can use it as a 10p.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/my-irish-mate-told-me-if-you-file-down-the-edges-of-a-50-pence-piece/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

[Explore all 58 Frank Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

## More Air quotes

> [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/)

[Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/)

[Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/)

> [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/)

[Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/)

> [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/)

[Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/)

> [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/)

[N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/)

> [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/)

[Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/)

> [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/)

[Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/)

> [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/)

[Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/)

> [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [“It is unnatural to fear something natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unnatural-to-fear-something-natural/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

[Browse all 6,278 Air quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I just want to apologise for being late. I was flying back from Spain and the air hostess said: \"We are two hours late Mr Carson.\" When I asked why, she said: \"The pilot has heard a funny noise in the engine that he doesn't like, so we are waiting on another pilot who can't hear it.\"",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Frank Carson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late-i-was-flying-back-from-spain/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Air"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late-i-was-flying-back-from-spain/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/frank-carson-11804_air_i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late_2455381.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/frank-carson-11804_air_i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late_2455381.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/frank-carson-11804_air_i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late_2455381.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I just want to apologise for being late. I was flying back from Spain and the air hostess said: \"We are two…” — Frank Carson",
                "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": "Frank Carson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I just want to apologise for...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late-i-was-flying-back-from-spain/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-just-want-to-apologise-for-being-late-i-was-flying-back-from-spain/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
