---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him…"
description: "\"I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)\" — James Patterson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/james-patterson-171_bird_i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-th_19837.png"
---

#  I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)

![“I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)” quote by James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/james-patterson-171_bird_i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-th_19837.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/james-patterson-171_bird_i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-th_19837.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/james-patterson-171_bird_i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-th_19837.png)

> “I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)”

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

## About This Quote

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

A darkly humorous line that plays on the double meaning of 'shot' and 'bird,' implying both a literal act and a vulgar insult, highlighting the speaker's irreverent wit.

**In simple terms:** Wordplay on violence and insult.

Key Takeaway

Humor can arise from shocking juxtaposition.

Themes

dark humor wordplay irony vulgarity double entendre

Mood

playful irreverent edgy

Type

joke one‑liner quip

When to use this quote

- stand‑up comedy
- satirical writing
- casual banter
- edgy social media posts

Key Concepts

language ambiguity social taboo

Practical Applications

- provoking laughter through shock
- illustrating character's brash personality

Questions to Reflect On

- What does the humor reveal about the speaker's attitude?
- How does the double meaning affect the impact?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Bird Shot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird-shot-393637/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Shot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shot/) [Shot Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shot-bird-393636/) [Shot Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shot-mind-393638/) [Shots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shots/)

## Related quotes

> [“A quick thought shot through my mind. Could I really drown in a dream? I remembered the movie the Matrix. If you died in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameo-renae/a-quick-thought-shot-through-my-mind-could-i-really-drown-in-a-dream/)

[Cameo Renae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameo-renae/)

> [When I was twelve, I went hunting with my father and we shot a bird. He was laying there and something struck me. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-levy/when-i-was-twelve-i-went-hunting-with-my-father-and-we-shot-a-bird-he/)

[Marv Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-levy/)

> [“In case of attack, this completely inadequate load of bird shot will make a loud noise, if nothing else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulette-jiles/in-case-of-attack-this-completely-inadequate-load-of-bird-shot-will/)

[Paulette Jiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulette-jiles/)

> [“Come on, T-Bird," he said, getting to his feet and reaching for her hand. He hoisted her up onto her feet whether she wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurelia-b-rowl/come-on-t-bird-he-said-getting-to-his-feet-and-reaching-for-her-hand/)

[Aurelia B Rowl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aurelia-b-rowl/)

> [“I flunked out that semester, but I got my money's worth learning about people that don't have hearts no bigger than bird shot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gautreaux/i-flunked-out-that-semester-but-i-got-my-money-s-worth-learning-about/)

[Tim Gautreaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gautreaux/)

> [Unless you believe in reincarnation, this is your one shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/unless-you-believe-in-reincarnation-this-is-your-one-shot/)

[Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/)

> [I did do an American pilot, but it wasnt shot in America, it was shot in South Africa. It was called The Philanthropist, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-mcelligott/i-did-do-an-american-pilot-but-it-wasnt-shot-in-america-it-was-shot/)

[Dominique McElligott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-mcelligott/)

> [My M.F.A was in directing, and all the films I've made, for film school and after, I've written, directed and shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-s-fletcher/my-m-f-a-was-in-directing-and-all-the-films-i-ve-made-for-film-school/)

[Geoffrey S. Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-s-fletcher/)

> [I have shot mine arrow o'er the house And hurt my brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-have-shot-mine-arrow-o-er-the-house-and-hurt-my-brother/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Every shot that kills ricochets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-parker/every-shot-that-kills-ricochets/)

[Gilbert Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-parker/)

> [LeBron James can get a shot off under any and all circumstances and he makes them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/lebron-james-can-get-a-shot-off-under-any-and-all-circumstances-and/)

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/)

> [Why don't you pass the gun around and give everyone a shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-cooper/why-don-t-you-pass-the-gun-around-and-give-everyone-a-shot/)

[Alice Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-cooper/)

> [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [The shot heard round the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-shot-heard-round-the-world/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [I don't want to be remembered as the girl who was shot. I want to be remembered as the girl who stood up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-don-t-want-to-be-remembered-as-the-girl-who-was-shot-i-want-to-be/)

[Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/)

## More by James Patterson

> [It was a little weird that they were friends. But then, maybe freaks just tended to find each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-a-little-weird-that-they-were-friends-but-then-maybe-freaks/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [“The next forty-five minutes in that office was about as much fun as a day at Disney World—when it’s pouring rain. And all there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/the-next-forty-five-minutes-in-that-office-was-about-as-much-fun-as-a/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [You're lying through your fangs," Iggy accused. Fang tried to play innocent--but "innocent Fang" is an oxymoron, so it didn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/you-re-lying-through-your-fangs-iggy-accused-fang-tried-to-play/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [There are reasons people seek escape in books, and one of those reasons is that the boundary of what can happen is beyond what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/there-are-reasons-people-seek-escape-in-books-and-one-of-those/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [I get up every morning and chop wood, and I pretty much do it seven days a week, and I like to do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-get-up-every-morning-and-chop-wood-and-i-pretty-much-do-it-seven/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [Witihin seconds the headhunter had lost control of his car and it squealed, sliding sideways right into several other cars. Cool!' said the Gasman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/witihin-seconds-the-headhunter-had-lost-control-of-his-car-and-it/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [“It was scary. More than Sara could possibly know. More than anybody ought to know, or ever would. History wasn't for the general public--it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-scary-more-than-sara-could-possibly-know-more-than-anybody/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [Did I want a dog? No. Did I need a dog? Also no. We were six kids running for our lives, not knowing where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/did-i-want-a-dog-no-did-i-need-a-dog-also-no-we-were-six-kids-running/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [I'm a girl who has been tamping down her emotions and keeping them tightly guarded her whole life. And that works really well for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-m-a-girl-who-has-been-tamping-down-her-emotions-and-keeping-them/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [When my son, Jack, was four, I had to make a trip to Los Angeles. I asked him if he was going to miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/when-my-son-jack-was-four-i-had-to-make-a-trip-to-los-angeles-i-asked/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [“that kid’s nothing but a little hoodlum.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/that-kid-s-nothing-but-a-little-hoodlum/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [Jeezum—humans were like eggshells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/jeezum-humans-were-like-eggshells/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [“What is a lie? It's a distortion of reality, presented as reality. We say it's a bad thing. We teach kids not to lie.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/what-is-a-lie-it-s-a-distortion-of-reality-presented-as-reality-we/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

[Explore all 983 James Patterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

## More Bird quotes

> [And I have been very blessed, having coached some of the greatest that have ever played the game. But if I had to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-auerbach/and-i-have-been-very-blessed-having-coached-some-of-the-greatest-that/)

[Red Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-auerbach/)

> [Some minds corrode and grow inactive under the loss of personal liberty; others grow morbid and irritable; but it is the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/some-minds-corrode-and-grow-inactive-under-the-loss-of-personal/)

[Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/)

> [Set the bird's wings with gold and it will never again soar in thesky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/set-the-bird-s-wings-with-gold-and-it-will-never-again-soar-in-thesky/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [“He unfixes the metal notch and slips his hand around the body of the bird. Feels its heat, its small heart beating. He stares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-schuyler/he-unfixes-the-metal-notch-and-slips-his-hand-around-the-body-of-the/)

[Nina Schuyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-schuyler/)

> [I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/i-would-rather-learn-from-one-bird-how-to-sing-than-to-teach-10-000/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/)

[Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/)

> [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/)

[Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/)

> [And wheresoever, in his rich creation, Sweet music breathes--in wave, or bird, or soul-- 'Tis but the faint and far reverberation Of that great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-sargent-osgood/and-wheresoever-in-his-rich-creation-sweet-music-breathes-in-wave-or/)

[Frances Sargent Osgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-sargent-osgood/)

> [A clock struck out the hour of twelve, and the bird in the hedgerow was still singing as we marched out to the roadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macgill/a-clock-struck-out-the-hour-of-twelve-and-the-bird-in-the-hedgerow/)

[Patrick MacGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macgill/)

> [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/)

[Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/)

> [When they started to drain a swamp where birds and fish had lived, for a new housing development down the road from his apartment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maile-meloy/when-they-started-to-drain-a-swamp-where-birds-and-fish-had-lived-for/)

[Maile Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maile-meloy/)

> [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/)

[Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/)

> [Real like sucks the life out of losers. if you want to fuck with the eagles, you must learn how to fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/real-like-sucks-the-life-out-of-losers-if-you-want-to-fuck-with-the/)

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

> [“If we studied birds ,maybe we could learn to be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/if-we-studied-birds-maybe-we-could-learn-to-be-free/)

[Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/)

[Browse all 4,802 Bird quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Patterson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-the-never-mind/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bird"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-the-never-mind/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/james-patterson-171_bird_i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-th_19837.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/james-patterson-171_bird_i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-th_19837.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/james-patterson-171_bird_i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-th_19837.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)” — James Patterson",
                "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": "James Patterson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I shot him the bird. (Get...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-the-never-mind/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-the-never-mind/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
