---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To quote Shirley Polanski, head waitress…"
description: "\"“To quote Shirley Polanski, head waitress at the Humdinger Diner: \"Beware of a big man whose stomach doesn't move when he laughs.\" I think a Chinese ph..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/joan-bauer-3032_chinese-philosopher_to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress_2847895.png"
---

#  To quote Shirley Polanski, head waitress at the Humdinger…

![“To quote Shirley Polanski, head waitress at the Humdinger Diner: &quot;Beware of a big man whose stomach doesn't move when he laughs.&quot; I think a Chinese philosopher said it first, but these things trickle down to the food service community.” quote by Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/joan-bauer-3032_chinese-philosopher_to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress_2847895.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/joan-bauer-3032_chinese-philosopher_to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress_2847895.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/joan-bauer-3032_chinese-philosopher_to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress_2847895.png)

> ““To quote Shirley Polanski, head waitress at the Humdinger Diner: "Beware of a big man whose stomach doesn't move when he laughs." I think a Chinese philosopher said it first, but these things trickle down to the food service community.””

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

## About This Quote

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

Beware of those who laugh without genuine joy; it hints at hidden motives.

**In simple terms:** Fake laughter signals danger.

Key Takeaway

Watch for insincere behavior.

Themes

trust deception humor

Mood

cautious observant

Type

social psychological

When to use this quote

- leadership
- team building
- personal safety

Key Concepts

social dynamics psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you discern genuine joy?
- What cues reveal hidden intent?

A Different Perspective

Not all laughter is deceptive.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Chinese philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese-philosopher/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Food service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food-service/)

## Related quotes

> [My fitness goals are different than most peoples. Most people want to lose enough weight so they look good in a bathing suit or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-james/my-fitness-goals-are-different-than-most-peoples-most-people-want-to/)

[Kevin James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-james/)

> [There's just a pit that develops in your stomach and doesn't go away. It's the championship pit, and it's there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmie-johnson/there-s-just-a-pit-that-develops-in-your-stomach-and-doesn-t-go-away/)

[Jimmie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmie-johnson/)

> [A child, like your stomach, doesn't need all you can afford to give it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-a-clark/a-child-like-your-stomach-doesn-t-need-all-you-can-afford-to-give-it/)

[Frank A. Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-a-clark/)

> [A lot of my work has to do with not allowing my characters to have an ego in a way that the stomach doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/a-lot-of-my-work-has-to-do-with-not-allowing-my-characters-to-have-an/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [I think that has to do with my awareness that in a sense we all have a certain measure of responsibility to those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-that-has-to-do-with-my-awareness-that-in-a-sense-we-all-have-2/)

[Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/)

> [I think people instinctively know that their job is to give service and that they are part of a community. It had a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/i-think-people-instinctively-know-that-their-job-is-to-give-service/)

[Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/)

> [Social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/social-media-is-not-about-the-exploitation-of-technology-but-service/)

[Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/)

> [True salvation can come only to a person who renders service to the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yisroel-salanter/true-salvation-can-come-only-to-a-person-who-renders-service-to-the/)

[Yisroel Salanter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yisroel-salanter/)

> [If my book generates any sort of dialogue among Afghans, then I think it will have done a service to the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/if-my-book-generates-any-sort-of-dialogue-among-afghans-then-i-think/)

[Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/)

> [I've always been interested in political service and community advocacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tubbs/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-political-service-and-community/)

[Michael Tubbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tubbs/)

> [A man with a full stomach and the respect of his fellows had no business to scold about anything that he might think to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/a-man-with-a-full-stomach-and-the-respect-of-his-fellows-had-no/)

[Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/)

> [Yet one more item is needed to complete success, and that is the rendering of service to others in the community. Without this the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yet-one-more-item-is-needed-to-complete-success-and-that-is-the/)

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

> [My style is to service my community through entertainment and products.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-combs/my-style-is-to-service-my-community-through-entertainment-and-products/)

[Sean Combs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-combs/)

> [“Stop fussing, honey. It won't be the first time James has seen a man's stomach." It's not the first time I've seen that one,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-archer/stop-fussing-honey-it-won-t-be-the-first-time-james-has-seen-a-man-s/)

[Jeffrey Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-archer/)

> [“Hunter's stomach was perfection—each taut muscle tight and totally lickable. Not that I'd ever licked a man's stomach before, but now I got why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/hunter-s-stomach-was-perfection-each-taut-muscle-tight-and-totally/)

[Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/)

## More by Joan Bauer

> [“You need a negative charge and a positive one to get something moving. We've got the negative; we're going to find the positive if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/you-need-a-negative-charge-and-a-positive-one-to-get-something-moving/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“I watched that plant in the office every day. Watered it; misted it. I loved thinking about it like G.T. said, but part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/i-watched-that-plant-in-the-office-every-day-watered-it-misted-it-i/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [I'll tell you something about tough times. They just about kill you, but if you decide to keep working at them, you'll find your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/i-ll-tell-you-something-about-tough-times-they-just-about-kill-you/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“Why do you think, A.J.," they say in unison, "that you find these boys so attractive?" I didn't say that this fiery chemical explosion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/why-do-you-think-a-j-they-say-in-unison-that-you-find-these-boys-so/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“Millstone sputtered, "I don't know where you're getting your information, G.T., but that's as bogus as a barking cat!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/millstone-sputtered-i-don-t-know-where-you-re-getting-your/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“How could a man with so much heart die from a heart attack?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/how-could-a-man-with-so-much-heart-die-from-a-heart-attack/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“Mother, this is a confidential business discussion. I hardly think that your driver can add anything noteworthy." I could kick you in the stomach,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/mother-this-is-a-confidential-business-discussion-i-hardly-think-that/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“Perchance, I would listen. Have you said anything?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/perchance-i-would-listen-have-you-said-anything/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [My father always told me that in this world we are going to make a truckload of mistakes, but the best mistake we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/my-father-always-told-me-that-in-this-world-we-are-going-to-make-a/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“COOK’S TIP: Bake every day. If you have to leave town fast, you’ll always have something good to eat in the car.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/cook-s-tip-bake-every-day-if-you-have-to-leave-town-fast-you-ll/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [Mom put dense cheddar bread into a bag for a man who said this was his wife's favorite - he'd driven all the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/mom-put-dense-cheddar-bread-into-a-bag-for-a-man-who-said-this-was/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“you’ve got to love yourself with all your shortcomings, and you’ve got to love the world, no matter how bad it gets.” Boy,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/you-ve-got-to-love-yourself-with-all-your-shortcomings-and-you-ve-got/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“I don’t want you to leap into another relationship without thinking. Looking for perfect is a big, fat myth because perfect isn’t out there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/i-don-t-want-you-to-leap-into-another-relationship-without-thinking/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a person is to have a puppy lick your face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/sometimes-the-best-thing-that-can-happen-to-a-person-is-to-have-a/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

> [“We've got so much in this life that all we know how to do is want more. So we concentrate on the wrong things--things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/we-ve-got-so-much-in-this-life-that-all-we-know-how-to-do-is-want/)

[Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

[Explore all 139 Joan Bauer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/)

## More Chinese philosopher quotes

> [Happiness exist when you don't know a thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/happiness-exist-when-you-don-t-know-a-thing/)

[The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/)

> [“Wheels have been set in motion, and they have their own pace, to which we are...condemned. Each move is dictated by the previous one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/wheels-have-been-set-in-motion-and-they-have-their-own-pace-to-which/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [“Laozi was an ancient Chinese philosopher. According to Chinese tradition, Laozi lived in the 6th century BC, however many historians contend that Laozi”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/laozi-was-an-ancient-chinese-philosopher-according-to-chinese/)

[Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/)

> [“The outstanding characteristic of Western scholarship is its specialization and cutting up of knowledge into different departments. The over-development of logical thinking and specialization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-yutang/the-outstanding-characteristic-of-western-scholarship-is-its/)

[Lin Yutang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-yutang/)

> [Written by the ancient Chinese philosopher of the same name, the 'Zhuangzi' is one long perplexing puzzle of a rambling collection of enigmatic short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/written-by-the-ancient-chinese-philosopher-of-the-same-name-the/)

[Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/)

> [“Laozi was an ancient Chinese philosopher. According to Chinese tradition, Laozi lived in the 6th century BC, however many historians contend that Laozi actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/laozi-was-an-ancient-chinese-philosopher-according-to-chinese-2/)

[Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/)

> [A Chinaman of the T'ang Dynasty—and, by which definition, a philosopher—dreamed he was a butterfly, and from that moment he was never quite sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/a-chinaman-of-the-t-ang-dynasty-and-by-which-definition-a-philosopher/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [“The Chinese philosopher Mencius believed that man is innately good. He argued that anyone who saw a child falling into a well would immediately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-greenwood/the-chinese-philosopher-mencius-believed-that-man-is-innately-good-he/)

[T. Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-greenwood/)

> [A chinese philosopher once had a dream that he was a butterfly. From that day on, he was never quite certain that he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-chinese-philosopher-once-had-a-dream-that-he-was-a-butterfly-from/)

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

> [“time can bring about eventually supplants human justice. Chinese philosophers have an expression for this: bu de liao—knowing when to leave the past behind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhu-xiao-mei/time-can-bring-about-eventually-supplants-human-justice-chinese/)

[Zhu Xiao-Mei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhu-xiao-mei/)

> [The Chinese philosopher Chuang-Tzu stated that true empathy requires listening with the whole being: The hearing that is only in the ears is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/the-chinese-philosopher-chuang-tzu-stated-that-true-empathy-requires/)

[Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/)

> [“The situations depicted in the Book of Changes are the primary data of life -- what happens to everybody, every day, and what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hellmut-wilhelm-understanding-the-i-ching/the-situations-depicted-in-the-book-of-changes-are-the-primary-data/)

Hellmut Wilhelm Understanding the I Ching

> [“Two thousand three hundred years ago, the Chinese philosopher Chuang Tzu dreamt he was a butterfly. Upon waking, he considered this question: how would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/two-thousand-three-hundred-years-ago-the-chinese-philosopher-chuang/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [“True peace of mind," said this Chinese philosopher, "comes from accepting the worst. Psychologically, I think, it means a release of energy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-peace-of-mind-said-this-chinese-philosopher-comes-from-accepting/)

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

> [“Heaven and Earth are large, yet in the whole of space they are but as a small grain of rice. . . . How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-dunn/heaven-and-earth-are-large-yet-in-the-whole-of-space-they-are-but-as/)

[Rob Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-dunn/)

[Browse all 22 Chinese philosopher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese-philosopher/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“To quote Shirley Polanski, head waitress at the Humdinger Diner: \"Beware of a big man whose stomach doesn't move when he laughs.\" I think a Chinese philosopher said it first, but these things trickle down to the food service community.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joan Bauer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress-at-the-humdinger-diner-beware/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Chinese philosopher"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress-at-the-humdinger-diner-beware/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/joan-bauer-3032_chinese-philosopher_to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress_2847895.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/joan-bauer-3032_chinese-philosopher_to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress_2847895.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/joan-bauer-3032_chinese-philosopher_to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress_2847895.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To quote Shirley Polanski, head waitress at the Humdinger Diner: \"Beware of a big man whose stomach doesn't…” — Joan Bauer",
                "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": "Joan Bauer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“To quote Shirley Polanski, head waitress...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress-at-the-humdinger-diner-beware/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/to-quote-shirley-polanski-head-waitress-at-the-humdinger-diner-beware/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
