--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My mother, for instance, thought-or…" description: "\"“My mother, for instance, thought-or rather, knew-that it was dangerous to drive an automobile without gasoline: it fried the valves, or something. 'No..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/james-thurber-1534_gasoline_my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather_1667373.png" --- # My mother, for instance, thought-or rather, knew-that it… ![“My mother, for instance, thought-or rather, knew-that it was dangerous to drive an automobile without gasoline: it fried the valves, or something. 'Now don't you dare drive all over town without gasoline!' she would say to us when we started off" (31).” quote by James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/james-thurber-1534_gasoline_my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather_1667373.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/james-thurber-1534_gasoline_my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather_1667373.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/james-thurber-1534_gasoline_my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather_1667373.png) > ““My mother, for instance, thought-or rather, knew-that it was dangerous to drive an automobile without gasoline: it fried the valves, or something. 'Now don't you dare drive all over town without gasoline!' she would say to us when we started off" (31).”” [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The humor highlights a mother’s exaggerated caution about driving without fuel, illustrating overprotective advice. **In simple terms:** Mother warns absurdly about driving without gas. Key Takeaway Recognize when warnings become irrational. Themes humor family caution Mood lighthearted ironic Type humorous satirical When to use this quote - parenting advice - risk assessment - daily commuting - learning to trust - balancing safety Key Concepts overprotection absurdity communication Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever receive overly cautious advice? - When is caution helpful versus hindering? A Different Perspective May not apply to modern vehicle reliability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Automobile Gasoline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automobile-gasoline-822840/) [Gasoline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gasoline/) [Gasoline Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gasoline-fried-822841/) [Gasoline Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gasoline-say-822839/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Town Gasoline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/town-gasoline-822842/) ## Related quotes > [Gasoline inventories are tighter than they were a few weeks ago. It's all about perception, because inventories are well above where they have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-cooper/gasoline-inventories-are-tighter-than-they-were-a-few-weeks-ago-it-s/) [Kyle Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-cooper/) > [Democrats are fighting for a new direction that includes protecting Social Security as well as making healthcare affordable, bringing down the high cost of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-clyburn/democrats-are-fighting-for-a-new-direction-that-includes-protecting/) [Jim Clyburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-clyburn/) > [Content is fire. Social media is gasoline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kahn/content-is-fire-social-media-is-gasoline/) [Ryan Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kahn/) > [Flames from the lips may be produced by holding in the mouth a sponge saturated with the purest gasoline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/flames-from-the-lips-may-be-produced-by-holding-in-the-mouth-a-sponge/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Sleep is the gasoline that keeps me going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eads/sleep-is-the-gasoline-that-keeps-me-going/) [George Eads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eads/) > [Our president's latest energy initiative was to go to Saudi Arabia and beg King Abdullah to give us a little relief on gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/our-president-s-latest-energy-initiative-was-to-go-to-saudi-arabia/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Brazil does not want to become an exporter of crude oil. No. We want to be a country that exports oil byproducts - more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/brazil-does-not-want-to-become-an-exporter-of-crude-oil-no-we-want-to/) [Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/) > [The car bomb was fertilizer, gasoline, fireworks and propane tanks...still safer than a Toyota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-car-bomb-was-fertilizer-gasoline-fireworks-and-propane-tanks/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“I took a shower under a fountain drink machine at a gas station because it beats showering with unleaded gasoline at $3.33 a gallon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-took-a-shower-under-a-fountain-drink-machine-at-a-gas-station/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Strangest of all, we’ve convinced ourselves that our health has nothing to do with what we eat. People who will spend that extra 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-silverstone/strangest-of-all-we-ve-convinced-ourselves-that-our-health-has/) [Alicia Silverstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-silverstone/) > [I seriously think I could have sat in the middle of the kitchen floor rubbing two sticks together over a pile of dynamite blocks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-sonnenblick/i-seriously-think-i-could-have-sat-in-the-middle-of-the-kitchen-floor/) [Jordan Sonnenblick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-sonnenblick/) > [And as you point out, for American families who struggle every day to figure out how do they pay, we talk about gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allyson-schwartz/and-as-you-point-out-for-american-families-who-struggle-every-day-to/) [Allyson Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allyson-schwartz/) > [“We seem to be oil and water." "More like gasoline and a match.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercy-celeste/we-seem-to-be-oil-and-water-more-like-gasoline-and-a-match/) [Mercy Celeste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercy-celeste/) > [Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Words matter. Words can be a fire to the gasoline of disturbed minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/words-matter-words-can-be-a-fire-to-the-gasoline-of-disturbed-minds/) [Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/) ## More by James Thurber > [ Salvador \[Dali\] was brought up in Spain, a country colored by the legends of Hannibal, El Greco, and Cervantes. I was brought up in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/salvador-dali-was-brought-up-in-spain-a-country-colored-by-the/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“Her own mother lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all over the house.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/her-own-mother-lived-the-latter-years-of-her-life-in-the-horrible/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“Against the may, the could be, and the should, folly 'tis to balance doubt or hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/against-the-may-the-could-be-and-the-should-folly-tis-to-balance/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Love is the strange bewilderment that overtakes one person on account of another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/love-is-the-strange-bewilderment-that-overtakes-one-person-on-account/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“ There was an old coddle so molly, He talked in a glot that was poly, His gaws were so gew That his laps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/there-was-an-old-coddle-so-molly-he-talked-in-a-glot-that-was-poly/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“you might as well fall on your face as lean over too far backwards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/you-might-as-well-fall-on-your-face-as-lean-over-too-far-backwards/) [james thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [I myself have known some profoundly thoughtful dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-myself-have-known-some-profoundly-thoughtful-dogs/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [He knows all about art, but he doesn't know what he likes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/he-knows-all-about-art-but-he-doesn-t-know-what-he-likes/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/all-men-should-strive-to-learn-before-they-die-what-they-are-running/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Quick, name some towns in New Jersey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/quick-name-some-towns-in-new-jersey/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Looks can be deceiving; it's eating that's believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/looks-can-be-deceiving-it-s-eating-that-s-believing/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“I don’t understand,” said the scientist, “why you lemmings all rush down to the sea and drown yourselves.” “How curious,” said the lemming. “The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-don-t-understand-said-the-scientist-why-you-lemmings-all-rush-down/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Humor does not include sarcasm, invalid irony, sardonicism, innuendo, or any other form of cruelty. When these things are raised to a high point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/humor-does-not-include-sarcasm-invalid-irony-sardonicism-innuendo-or/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Where most of us end up there is no knowing, but the hellbent get where they are going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/where-most-of-us-end-up-there-is-no-knowing-but-the-hellbent-get/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Comedy has to be done en clair. You can't blunt the edge of wit or the point of satire with obscurity. Try to imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/comedy-has-to-be-done-en-clair-you-can-t-blunt-the-edge-of-wit-or-the/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) [Explore all 229 James Thurber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) ## More Gasoline quotes > [Gasoline inventories are tighter than they were a few weeks ago. It's all about perception, because inventories are well above where they have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-cooper/gasoline-inventories-are-tighter-than-they-were-a-few-weeks-ago-it-s/) [Kyle Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-cooper/) > [Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [“We seem to be oil and water." "More like gasoline and a match.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercy-celeste/we-seem-to-be-oil-and-water-more-like-gasoline-and-a-match/) [Mercy Celeste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercy-celeste/) > [And as you point out, for American families who struggle every day to figure out how do they pay, we talk about gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allyson-schwartz/and-as-you-point-out-for-american-families-who-struggle-every-day-to/) [Allyson Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allyson-schwartz/) > [I seriously think I could have sat in the middle of the kitchen floor rubbing two sticks together over a pile of dynamite blocks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-sonnenblick/i-seriously-think-i-could-have-sat-in-the-middle-of-the-kitchen-floor/) [Jordan Sonnenblick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-sonnenblick/) > [“Strangest of all, we’ve convinced ourselves that our health has nothing to do with what we eat. People who will spend that extra 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-silverstone/strangest-of-all-we-ve-convinced-ourselves-that-our-health-has/) [Alicia Silverstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-silverstone/) > [“I took a shower under a fountain drink machine at a gas station because it beats showering with unleaded gasoline at $3.33 a gallon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-took-a-shower-under-a-fountain-drink-machine-at-a-gas-station/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [The car bomb was fertilizer, gasoline, fireworks and propane tanks...still safer than a Toyota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-car-bomb-was-fertilizer-gasoline-fireworks-and-propane-tanks/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Brazil does not want to become an exporter of crude oil. No. We want to be a country that exports oil byproducts - more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/brazil-does-not-want-to-become-an-exporter-of-crude-oil-no-we-want-to/) [Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/) > [Our president's latest energy initiative was to go to Saudi Arabia and beg King Abdullah to give us a little relief on gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/our-president-s-latest-energy-initiative-was-to-go-to-saudi-arabia/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Sleep is the gasoline that keeps me going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eads/sleep-is-the-gasoline-that-keeps-me-going/) [George Eads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eads/) > [Flames from the lips may be produced by holding in the mouth a sponge saturated with the purest gasoline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/flames-from-the-lips-may-be-produced-by-holding-in-the-mouth-a-sponge/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Content is fire. Social media is gasoline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kahn/content-is-fire-social-media-is-gasoline/) [Ryan Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kahn/) > [Democrats are fighting for a new direction that includes protecting Social Security as well as making healthcare affordable, bringing down the high cost of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-clyburn/democrats-are-fighting-for-a-new-direction-that-includes-protecting/) [Jim Clyburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-clyburn/) > [Words matter. Words can be a fire to the gasoline of disturbed minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/words-matter-words-can-be-a-fire-to-the-gasoline-of-disturbed-minds/) [Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/) [Browse all 252 Gasoline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gasoline/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My mother, for instance, thought-or rather, knew-that it was dangerous to drive an automobile without gasoline: it fried the valves, or something. 'Now don't you dare drive all over town without gasoline!' she would say to us when we started off\" (31).”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Thurber" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather-knew-that-it-was-dangerous/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gasoline" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather-knew-that-it-was-dangerous/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/james-thurber-1534_gasoline_my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather_1667373.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/james-thurber-1534_gasoline_my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather_1667373.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/james-thurber-1534_gasoline_my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather_1667373.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My mother, for instance, thought-or rather, knew-that it was dangerous to drive an automobile without…” — James Thurber", "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 Thurber", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“My mother, for instance, thought-or rather,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather-knew-that-it-was-dangerous/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/my-mother-for-instance-thought-or-rather-knew-that-it-was-dangerous/#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 } } ] } ```