--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An Irishman will always soften bad news…" description: "\"An Irishman will always soften bad news, so that a major coronary is no more than 'a bad turn' and a near hurricane that leaves thousands homeless is '..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/hugh-leonard-22472_bad-news_an-irishman-will-always-soften-bad-news_2820640.jpg" --- # An Irishman will always soften bad news, so that a major… ![“An Irishman will always soften bad news, so that a major coronary is no more than 'a bad turn' and a near hurricane that leaves thousands homeless is 'good drying weather'.” quote by Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/hugh-leonard-22472_bad-news_an-irishman-will-always-soften-bad-news_2820640.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/hugh-leonard-22472_bad-news_an-irishman-will-always-soften-bad-news_2820640.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/hugh-leonard-22472_bad-news_an-irishman-will-always-soften-bad-news_2820640.jpg) > “An Irishman will always soften bad news, so that a major coronary is no more than 'a bad turn' and a near hurricane that leaves thousands homeless is 'good drying weather'.” [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Irish humor softens terrible news, reframing disasters as mild inconveniences. **In simple terms:** Irish humor downplays tragedy. Key Takeaway Mindful communication. Themes cultural humor communication style disaster framing Mood wry reflective Type cultural philosophical When to use this quote - news reporting - public speaking - personal coping Key Concepts sociolinguistics psychology Questions to Reflect On - When is humor appropriate? - How does language shape perception? A Different Perspective Risk of minimizing seriousness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Homeless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homeless/) [Hurricanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurricanes/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Weather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weather/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [Look at me, man, look at me and tell me I don't know what I'm about. I'm Conor Larkin. I'm an Irishman and I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/look-at-me-man-look-at-me-and-tell-me-i-don-t-know-what-i-m-about-i-m/) [Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/) > [An Irishman I am, begora! With a heart and a spirit on me not crushed be a hundred years of oppression. I'll be getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcdonagh/an-irishman-i-am-begora-with-a-heart-and-a-spirit-on-me-not-crushed/) [Martin McDonagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcdonagh/) > [He knew the world and its absurdities as only an intelligent Irishman can; which is to say that where his knowledge or memory failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/he-knew-the-world-and-its-absurdities-as-only-an-intelligent-irishman/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [I was walking across King's Cross station when a drunken Irishman came stumbling up and flung his arms around me. 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The Irish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-connolly/the-irishman-frees-himself-from-slavery-when-he-realizes-the-truth/) [James Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-connolly/) > [An Irishman's wife gave birth to twins. Her husband wanted to know who the other man was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/an-irishman-s-wife-gave-birth-to-twins-her-husband-wanted-to-know-who/) [Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/) > [I agree with the realistic Irishman who said he preferred to prophesy after the event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/i-agree-with-the-realistic-irishman-who-said-he-preferred-to-prophesy/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The Irishman in English literature may be said to have been born with an apology in his mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-connolly/the-irishman-in-english-literature-may-be-said-to-have-been-born-with/) [James Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-connolly/) > [You're a good Irishman, right?" When Butch nodded, V said, "Irish, Irish… let me think. Yeah…" Vishous's eyes sobered, and in a voice that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/you-re-a-good-irishman-right-when-butch-nodded-v-said-irish-irish-let/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [Ideally, we'd want an Irishman coming in for the job, but, ideally it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-morrison/ideally-we-d-want-an-irishman-coming-in-for-the-job-but-ideally-it/) Clinton Morrison ## More by Hugh Leonard > [I'm a much nicer person since my wife died. I found out what pain is, so on that level I'm much nicer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/i-m-a-much-nicer-person-since-my-wife-died-i-found-out-what-pain-is/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [We were married for almost 45 years. We fought all the time, it wasn't a great love or anything, it wasn't a great, all-consuming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/we-were-married-for-almost-45-years-we-fought-all-the-time-it-wasn-t/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [I don't think anyone is the perfect one to play me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/i-don-t-think-anyone-is-the-perfect-one-to-play-me/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [It's a natural thing for people to say, you know, Who's in this book? I find myself get ting a little defensive. People come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/it-s-a-natural-thing-for-people-to-say-you-know-who-s-in-this-book-i/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [Gossip is more popular than literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/gossip-is-more-popular-than-literature/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [There is only one immutable law in life - in a gentleman's toilet, incoming traffic has the right of way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/there-is-only-one-immutable-law-in-life-in-a-gentleman-s-toilet/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [I feel like the writer observing the grief, but it is difficult to be detached from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/i-feel-like-the-writer-observing-the-grief-but-it-is-difficult-to-be/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [My grandmother made dying her life's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/my-grandmother-made-dying-her-life-s-work/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [My life is every moment of my life. It is not a culmination of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/my-life-is-every-moment-of-my-life-it-is-not-a-culmination-of-the-past/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [My father I liked, but it was only after his death that I got to know him by writing the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/my-father-i-liked-but-it-was-only-after-his-death-that-i-got-to-know/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [Sometimes silence resolves a conversation confused by Mad Misconstruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/sometimes-silence-resolves-a-conversation-confused-by-mad/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) > [I came down to the living room one day and my wife was standing in the living room. It wasn't an illusion. 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I wasn't able to do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-leonard/i-m-a-writer-and-what-i-do-is-write-i-wasn-t-able-to-do-anything-else/) [Hugh Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) [Explore all 27 Hugh Leonard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-leonard/) ## More Bad news quotes > [In the wake of such bad news, it was heartening to know that what 'Sense8' stood for meant so much to so many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-j-smith/in-the-wake-of-such-bad-news-it-was-heartening-to-know-that-what/) [Brian J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-j-smith/) > [“I remember a man, a very lonely man, coming up to me at the end of a reading and looking into my face and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-howe/i-remember-a-man-a-very-lonely-man-coming-up-to-me-at-the-end-of-a/) [Marie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-howe/) > [In the business world, bad news is usually good news - for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/in-the-business-world-bad-news-is-usually-good-news-for-somebody-else/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [You never want to have to give your child bad news of any kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/you-never-want-to-have-to-give-your-child-bad-news-of-any-kind/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I'm utterly unsuited for bureaucracy. I don't know my passwords to anything. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/if-there-s-one-thing-you-should-know-about-me-it-s-that-i-m-utterly/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [I seem to thrive by destroying the last thing I did, in a kind of cartoon Nietzsche way. Emerson says in "Experience" something like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chiasson/i-seem-to-thrive-by-destroying-the-last-thing-i-did-in-a-kind-of/) [Dan Chiasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chiasson/) > [“The bad news is that, measured in terms of geologic time, if the Earth’s history is an accurate guide, glaciers will soon return to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bernstein/the-bad-news-is-that-measured-in-terms-of-geologic-time-if-the-earth/) [Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) > [I love an underdog. No, I don't necessarily mean the cartoon. I mean like David, as in Goliath, or the Bears, as in The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/i-love-an-underdog-no-i-don-t-necessarily-mean-the-cartoon-i-mean/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [The good news is that economists are intelligent, engaging and often charming folks. The bad news is their work is often of little use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/the-good-news-is-that-economists-are-intelligent-engaging-and-often/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [The flatter the corporate hierarchy, the more likely it is that employees will communicate bad news and act upon it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-flatter-the-corporate-hierarchy-the-more-likely-it-is-that/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [The good news may be that Nature is phasing out the white man, but the bad news is that's who She thinks we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-good-news-may-be-that-nature-is-phasing-out-the-white-man-but-the/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [For a long period of time, the media covered rap music and hip hop the same way they cover a lot of black people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/for-a-long-period-of-time-the-media-covered-rap-music-and-hip-hop-the/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [“Shifting from a superior/inferior paradigm to a strength-in-difference paradigm was kind of a good news/bad news situation. 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