--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Paper napkins never return from a laundry…" description: "\"Paper napkins never return from a laundry - nor love from a trip to the law courts\" — John Barrymore" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/john-barrymore-20453_love_paper-napkins-never-return-from-a-laundr_1116520.jpg" --- # Paper napkins never return from a laundry - nor love from… ![“Paper napkins never return from a laundry - nor love from a trip to the law courts” quote by John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/john-barrymore-20453_love_paper-napkins-never-return-from-a-laundr_1116520.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/john-barrymore-20453_love_paper-napkins-never-return-from-a-laundr_1116520.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/john-barrymore-20453_love_paper-napkins-never-return-from-a-laundr_1116520.jpg) > “Paper napkins never return from a laundry - nor love from a trip to the law courts” [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s fleeting pleasures often leave lasting emptiness, highlighting impermanence of material and emotional comforts. **In simple terms:** Things fade, leaving emptiness. Key Takeaway Seek lasting meaning beyond temporary comforts. Themes impermanence emptiness materialism emotional loss Mood melancholic contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - legal disputes - personal loss Key Concepts transience attachment existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What lasting values can you cultivate? - How do you cope with inevitable loss? A Different Perspective Relying on temporary fixes can cause repeated disappointment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Laundry Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laundry-love-2999807/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Napkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napkins/) [Napkins Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napkins-return-2999805/) [Paper Napkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper-napkins-2999804/) [Return Laundry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return-laundry-2999806/) ## Related quotes > [“He imagined paper napkins and paper cups, wax paper, cheese, wafers of white bread lifted by the wind, swirled about the car.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/he-imagined-paper-napkins-and-paper-cups-wax-paper-cheese-wafers-of/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“I scribbled her name on surfaces everywhere on my skin and on sheets of paper but mostly on napkins hoping every time that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/x-q/i-scribbled-her-name-on-surfaces-everywhere-on-my-skin-and-on-sheets/) [x q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/x-q/) > [I never use a napkin on my lap at a restaurant...because I believe in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannibal-buress/i-never-use-a-napkin-on-my-lap-at-a-restaurant-because-i-believe-in/) [Hannibal Buress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannibal-buress/) > [So Stapes conducted a dinner for just the two of us, then informed me of a dozen small but important mistakes I had made.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/so-stapes-conducted-a-dinner-for-just-the-two-of-us-then-informed-me/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“We were full of experiments and reforms, we were going to do without table napkins. Everything was going to be new, everything was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/we-were-full-of-experiments-and-reforms-we-were-going-to-do-without/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“... I say and maintain, that of all torcheculs, arsewisps, bumfodders, tail-napkins, bunghole cleansers, and wipe-breeches, there is none in the world comparable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/i-say-and-maintain-that-of-all-torcheculs-arsewisps-bumfodders-tail/) [François Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [I swear, guys in groups are capable of the stupidest things." "Like war," Kellan says, heaping napkins and ketchup packets onto her tray. 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Retrieving these items is his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-lancaster/fletch-then-kisses-me-on-the-forehead-before-opening-the-cabinet/) [Jen Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-lancaster/) > [As we're leaving the King's Arms Hotel after Sunday lunch, I watch a beautiful white dove walking down the wet road. A car approaches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-sher/as-we-re-leaving-the-king-s-arms-hotel-after-sunday-lunch-i-watch-a/) [Antony Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-sher/) > [The only test of possession is use. The talent that is buried is not owned. The napkin and the hole in the ground are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maltbie-davenport-babcock/the-only-test-of-possession-is-use-the-talent-that-is-buried-is-not/) [Maltbie Davenport Babcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maltbie-davenport-babcock/) > [I received rejection letters for ten years (one on a napkin, written in crayon.) I had all my rejection notices stored in a box.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-received-rejection-letters-for-ten-years-one-on-a-napkin-written-in/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [ \[On living in New York City:\] I'm oblivious to everything. I just don't notice anything. I sat in a coffee shop, drank half a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kightlinger/on-living-in-new-york-city-i-m-oblivious-to-everything-i-just-don-t/) [Laura Kightlinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kightlinger/) ## More by John Barrymore > [America is the country where you can buy a lifetime supply of aspirin For one dollar and use it up in two weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/america-is-the-country-where-you-can-buy-a-lifetime-supply-of-aspirin/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [In Genesis, it says that it is not good for a man to be alone; but sometimes it is a great relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/in-genesis-it-says-that-it-is-not-good-for-a-man-to-be-alone-but/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [My head is buried in the sands of tomorrow, while my tail feathers are singed by the hot sun of today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/my-head-is-buried-in-the-sands-of-tomorrow-while-my-tail-feathers-are/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [I would like to find a stew that will give me heartburn immediately, instead of at three o clock in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/i-would-like-to-find-a-stew-that-will-give-me-heartburn-immediately/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [ Mr. \[John\] Barrymore's smile was the smile of an actor who hates actors, and who knows that he is going to kill two or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/mr-john-barrymore-s-smile-was-the-smile-of-an-actor-who-hates-actors/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [Why is there so much month left at the end of the money?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/why-is-there-so-much-month-left-at-the-end-of-the-money/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [When archaeologists discover the missing arms of Venus de Milo, they will find she was wearing boxing gloves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/when-archaeologists-discover-the-missing-arms-of-venus-de-milo-they/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [“happiness always sneaks in through a door you din't know you left open”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/happiness-always-sneaks-in-through-a-door-you-din-t-know-you-left-open/) [john barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [He neither drank, smoked, nor rode a bicycle. 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Mine involves a lot of talent, a glass, and some cracked ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/method-acting-there-are-quite-a-few-methods-mine-involves-a-lot-of/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [My wife is the kind of girl who will not go anywhere without her mother, and her mother will go anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/my-wife-is-the-kind-of-girl-who-will-not-go-anywhere-without-her/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [Sex: the thing that takes up the least amount of time and causes the most amount of trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/sex-the-thing-that-takes-up-the-least-amount-of-time-and-causes-the/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [The good die young, because they see it's no use living if you have got to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/the-good-die-young-because-they-see-it-s-no-use-living-if-you-have/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [I am thinking of taking a fifth wife. Why not? Solomon had a thousand wives and he is a synonym for wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/i-am-thinking-of-taking-a-fifth-wife-why-not-solomon-had-a-thousand/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) [Explore all 31 John Barrymore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) ## More Love quotes > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. 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