---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world is two thirds spaghetti and…"
description: "\"The world is two thirds spaghetti and meatballs, one third syphilitic chancre.\" — Henry Miller"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/henry-miller-179_food_the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-me_2897545.jpg"
---

#  The world is two thirds spaghetti and meatballs, one third…

![“The world is two thirds spaghetti and meatballs, one third syphilitic chancre.” quote by Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/henry-miller-179_food_the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-me_2897545.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/henry-miller-179_food_the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-me_2897545.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/henry-miller-179_food_the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-me_2897545.jpg)

> “The world is two thirds spaghetti and meatballs, one third syphilitic chancre.”

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

## About This Quote

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

Life is a chaotic mixture of absurdity and disease.

**In simple terms:** Life is messy and unhealthy.

Key Takeaway

Accept chaos, seek balance.

Themes

existentialism absurdity health

Mood

dark ironic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal crises
- public health debates
- artistic expression

Key Concepts

nihilism social critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What does the metaphor reveal about society?
- How do we confront absurdity?

A Different Perspective

Humor can mask serious underlying issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Meatballs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meatballs/) [Meatballs Syphilitic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meatballs-syphilitic-4103357/) [Spaghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spaghetti/) [Spaghetti Meatballs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spaghetti-meatballs-4103359/) [Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds/) [Thirds Spaghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds-spaghetti-4103358/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [I make spaghetti and meatballs, I got that from my mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-maddon/i-make-spaghetti-and-meatballs-i-got-that-from-my-mom/)

[Joe Maddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-maddon/)

> [I love spaghetti and meatballs... I eat a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-lucci/i-love-spaghetti-and-meatballs-i-eat-a-lot/)

[Susan Lucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-lucci/)

> [“Nothing mitigates the throes of depression like a steaming plate of spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce and grated parmasan cheese, with a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-clayton/nothing-mitigates-the-throes-of-depression-like-a-steaming-plate-of/)

[Paul Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-clayton/)

> [I have a sister, so I know-that relationship, it's all about fairness: you want your sibling to have exactly what you have-the same amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-have-a-sister-so-i-know-that-relationship-it-s-all-about-fairness/)

[Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/)

> [I think that my interpretation of Italian was a lot more southern than what my husband cooks. You know, I grew up in Queens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debi-mazar/i-think-that-my-interpretation-of-italian-was-a-lot-more-southern/)

[Debi Mazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debi-mazar/)

> [Nothing spoils lunch any quicker than a rogue meatball rampaging through your spaghetti.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-davis/nothing-spoils-lunch-any-quicker-than-a-rogue-meatball-rampaging/)

[Jim Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-davis/)

> [Life is like a bowl of spaghetti. Every once in a while, you get a meatball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-creech/life-is-like-a-bowl-of-spaghetti-every-once-in-a-while-you-get-a/)

[Sharon Creech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-creech/)

> [Swedish meatballs are to die for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-guilfoyle/swedish-meatballs-are-to-die-for/)

[Kimberly Guilfoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-guilfoyle/)

> [I do the meatball recipe a lot. I think the army stew probably too. It's the most useful dish because it was born out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/i-do-the-meatball-recipe-a-lot-i-think-the-army-stew-probably-too-it/)

[Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/)

> [I feel like today should be a perfect Meatball day... Let's just get wastey-pants!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-feel-like-today-should-be-a-perfect-meatball-day-let-s-just-get/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 1 and 2, and Ratatouille. It's super surreal. We've been working on this for eight years nonstop.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-goldberg/there-s-cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-1-and-2-and-ratatouille-it/)

[Evan Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-goldberg/)

> [I'm Italian. I love to cook Italian food, so I learned from my dad how to make sauce and meatballs and all that stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-fatone/i-m-italian-i-love-to-cook-italian-food-so-i-learned-from-my-dad-how/)

[Joey Fatone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-fatone/)

> [I wanted to be a skinny little ballerina but I was a voluptuous little Italian girl whose dad had meatballs on the table every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-wanted-to-be-a-skinny-little-ballerina-but-i-was-a-voluptuous/)

[Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/)

> [You were in Sweden?" Boomer asked. "No," I said. "The trip got called off at the last minute. Because of political the unrest" "In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-were-in-sweden-boomer-asked-no-i-said-the-trip-got-called-off-at/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [I miss Swedish meatballs, but you can get them pretty much anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-miss-swedish-meatballs-but-you-can-get-them-pretty-much-anywhere/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

## More by Henry Miller

> [“I reached out for something to attach myself to—and I found nothing. But in reaching out, in the effort to grasp, to attach myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-reached-out-for-something-to-attach-myself-to-and-i-found-nothing/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“I saw the errors I had made and assumed full responsibility for everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-saw-the-errors-i-had-made-and-assumed-full-responsibility-for/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [The monstrous thing is not that men have created roses out of this dung heap, but that, for some reason or other, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-monstrous-thing-is-not-that-men-have-created-roses-out-of-this/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [They never opened the door which leads to the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/they-never-opened-the-door-which-leads-to-the-soul/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“(...)I decided to let myself drift with the tide, to make not the least resistance to fate, no matter in what form it presented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-decided-to-let-myself-drift-with-the-tide-to-make-not-the-least/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“If it be knowledge or wisdom one is seeking, then one had better go direct to the source. And the source is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/if-it-be-knowledge-or-wisdom-one-is-seeking-then-one-had-better-go/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“In the egocentric prism the helpless victim is walled in by the very light which he refracts. The ego dies in its own glass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/in-the-egocentric-prism-the-helpless-victim-is-walled-in-by-the-very/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“When one spends what he has on himself, when one has a thoroughly good time with his own money, people are apt to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/when-one-spends-what-he-has-on-himself-when-one-has-a-thoroughly-good/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [Paint what you like and die happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/paint-what-you-like-and-die-happy/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [She may be lying in bed reading a book, she may be making love with a prize fighter, or she may be running like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/she-may-be-lying-in-bed-reading-a-book-she-may-be-making-love-with-a/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“And no one sets about saving the world unless he has first experienced the miracle of personal salvation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/and-no-one-sets-about-saving-the-world-unless-he-has-first/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“He looks about the room at the few sticks of furniture, at the dirty bed sheets and the wash basin with the dirty water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/he-looks-about-the-room-at-the-few-sticks-of-furniture-at-the-dirty/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“Since then, of course, I have discovered what every madman in Paris discovers sooner of later; that there are no ready made infernos for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/since-then-of-course-i-have-discovered-what-every-madman-in-paris/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“Looking back upon my career, I see myself as a person capable of undertaking almost any task, any vocation. It was the monotony and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/looking-back-upon-my-career-i-see-myself-as-a-person-capable-of/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [“The word in your mouth is anarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-word-in-your-mouth-is-anarchy/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

[Explore all 894 Henry Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

## More Food quotes

> [On Sundays, that's my pig out day and I do the pizza and the beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-silvstedt/on-sundays-that-s-my-pig-out-day-and-i-do-the-pizza-and-the-beer/)

[Victoria Silvstedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-silvstedt/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/)

[David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/)

> [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/)

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

> [“My God, Joseph, your toasted sandwiches are the fucking shit. You do know that right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ashworth/my-god-joseph-your-toasted-sandwiches-are-the-fucking-shit-you-do/)

[Beth Ashworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ashworth/)

> [I feel like I could eat the world raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-feel-like-i-could-eat-the-world-raw/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/)

[Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“if you cannot control your hunger and appetite, good luck managing your blood chemistry, metabolism, waistline, and, in the bigger picture, the prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/if-you-cannot-control-your-hunger-and-appetite-good-luck-managing/)

[David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/)

> [“Hungarian Proverb: A dish of cabbages can be heated when it grows cold, but it will never taste the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mourid-barghouti/hungarian-proverb-a-dish-of-cabbages-can-be-heated-when-it-grows-cold/)

[Mourid Barghouti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mourid-barghouti/)

> [“The phrase “low and slow” was coined to describe the relatively low temperatures used for smoking and the lengthy amount of time it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-reader/the-phrase-low-and-slow-was-coined-to-describe-the-relatively-low/)

[Ted Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-reader/)

> [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/)

[David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/)

> [“Live is like a box of chocolates, we are all just waiting for a hungry hand to come down and grab us and eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunshine/live-is-like-a-box-of-chocolates-we-are-all-just-waiting-for-a-hungry/)

[sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunshine/)

> [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/)

[Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/)

> [“Pumpkin Flavor Latte Scrub   Ingredients 1 ½ cups of brown sugar 2 tablespoons of ground coffee 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice ¾ -1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-hilton/pumpkin-flavor-latte-scrub-ingredients-1-cups-of-brown-sugar-2/)

[Kate Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-hilton/)

[Browse all 34,183 Food quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The world is two thirds spaghetti and meatballs, one third syphilitic chancre.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry Miller"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-meatballs-one-third-syphilitic/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Food"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-meatballs-one-third-syphilitic/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/henry-miller-179_food_the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-me_2897545.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/henry-miller-179_food_the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-me_2897545.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/henry-miller-179_food_the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-me_2897545.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The world is two thirds spaghetti and meatballs, one third syphilitic chancre.” — Henry Miller",
                "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": "Henry Miller",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The world is two thirds spaghetti...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-meatballs-one-third-syphilitic/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-world-is-two-thirds-spaghetti-and-meatballs-one-third-syphilitic/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
