--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He's crazy,\" Bruno said, twirling a…" description: "\"“He's crazy,\" Bruno said, twirling a finger in circles around the side of his head and whistling to indicate just how crazy he thought he was. \"He went..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/john-boyne-2944_afternoon-tea_he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger_2958715.jpg" --- # He's crazy," Bruno said, twirling a finger in circles… ![“He's crazy," Bruno said, twirling a finger in circles around the side of his head and whistling to indicate just how crazy he thought he was. "He went up to a cat on the street the other day and invited her over for afternoon tea." "What did the cat say?" asked Gretel, who was making a sandwich in…” quote by John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/john-boyne-2944_afternoon-tea_he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger_2958715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/john-boyne-2944_afternoon-tea_he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger_2958715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/john-boyne-2944_afternoon-tea_he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger_2958715.jpg) > ““He's crazy," Bruno said, twirling a finger in circles around the side of his head and whistling to indicate just how crazy he thought he was. "He went up to a cat on the street the other day and invited her over for afternoon tea." "What did the cat say?" asked Gretel, who was making a sandwich in the corner of the kitchen. "Nothing." explained Bruno. "It was a cat.”” [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage uses absurd humor to highlight how people can be dismissive or confused when faced with the unfamiliar. **In simple terms:** People often respond with nonsense to strange situations. Key Takeaway Listen carefully before assuming. Themes humor miscommunication absurdity Mood playful ironic Type fiction humorous When to use this quote - meeting new people - cross‑cultural encounters - unexpected events Key Concepts social interaction cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - Why do we default to jokes in awkward moments? - What does the cat’s silence reveal about expectations? A Different Perspective Humor may mask deeper misunderstandings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afternoon tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon-tea/) [Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) [Cats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cats/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irony/) [Sarcasm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sarcasm/) [Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tea/) ## Related quotes > [“Pavel is not a doctor any more, Bruno' said Maria quietly. 'But he was. In another life. Before he came here”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/pavel-is-not-a-doctor-any-more-bruno-said-maria-quietly-but-he-was-in/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“ The hostile force! The reasone the barrier was established. "Astrophysics, do we know what's causing that?" "No, sir," Bruno said cheerfully. "Not a clue".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/the-hostile-force-the-reasone-the-barrier-was-established/) [Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/) > [My grandparents were far more English in their manners than they were Chinese. For example, we spoke English at home, had afternoon tea every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/my-grandparents-were-far-more-english-in-their-manners-than-they-were/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [Everyone's saved, we're in the grave. See you there for afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jethro-tull/everyone-s-saved-we-re-in-the-grave-see-you-there-for-afternoon-tea/) [Jethro Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jethro-tull/) > [Jihad is becoming as American as apple pie and as British as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-al-awlaki/jihad-is-becoming-as-american-as-apple-pie-and-as-british-as/) Anwar al-Awlaki > [“At that moment, Bobbie Faye felt an unbridled hatred for every movie heroine who'd ever raced away from he villain in Jimmy Choo shoes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-mcgee-causey/at-that-moment-bobbie-faye-felt-an-unbridled-hatred-for-every-movie/) [Toni McGee Causey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-mcgee-causey/) > [Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/under-certain-circumstances-there-are-few-hours-in-life-more/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [ “Nowhere is the English genius of domesticity more notably evident than in the festival of afternoon tea. The \[...\] chink of cups and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nowhere-is-the-english-genius-of-domesticity-more-notably-evident/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Mrs. Jones had invited a great and well-known violinist to entertain at her afternoon tea. When it was all over, everyone crowded around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/mrs-jones-had-invited-a-great-and-well-known-violinist-to-entertain/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“You can serve high tea around the dining room table, but afternoon tea is more of a living room occasion, with everything brought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-hynes/you-can-serve-high-tea-around-the-dining-room-table-but-afternoon-tea/) Angela Hynes > [I would give my back tooth - the one with the silver filling - to eat afternoon tea with my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-dent/i-would-give-my-back-tooth-the-one-with-the-silver-filling-to-eat/) [Grace Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-dent/) > [There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/there-are-few-hours-in-life-more-agreeable-than-the-hour-dedicated-to/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Someone's killed 100,000 people. We're almost going, "Well done! You killed 100,000 people? You must get up very early in the morning! I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/someone-s-killed-100-000-people-we-re-almost-going-well-done-you/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [“Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful, and lunch could so comfortably slip into afternoon tea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one-was-not-careful-and-lunch/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [Just as London is not one endless afternoon tea, L.A. isn't all super-fit, health food-crazy freaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suki-waterhouse/just-as-london-is-not-one-endless-afternoon-tea-l-a-isn-t-all-super/) [Suki Waterhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suki-waterhouse/) ## More by John Boyne > [“One single syllable of intimacy and the world is put to rights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/one-single-syllable-of-intimacy-and-the-world-is-put-to-rights/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“Bruno was jealous, he had to wear stupid pants en shoes while the boys at the other side of the fence were wearing nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/bruno-was-jealous-he-had-to-wear-stupid-pants-en-shoes-while-the-boys/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [ We all are \[normal\]. Their idea of normal just happens to be different to some other people's idea of normal. But this is the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/we-all-are-normal-their-idea-of-normal-just-happens-to-be-different/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“Maybe there were no villains in my mother’s story at all. Just men and women, trying to do their best by each other. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/maybe-there-were-no-villains-in-my-mother-s-story-at-all-just-men-and/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [I think that books for young people should have serious and important themes, they shouldn't be trivial. So the books I write, they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/i-think-that-books-for-young-people-should-have-serious-and-important/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [Just because a man glances up at the sky at night does not make him an astronomer, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/just-because-a-man-glances-up-at-the-sky-at-night-does-not-make-him/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“Every man is afraid of women as far as I can see,” said Julian, displaying an understanding of the universe far beyond his years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/every-man-is-afraid-of-women-as-far-as-i-can-see-said-julian/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [I don't buy into the idea that an Irish writer should write about Ireland, or a gay writer should write about being gay. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/i-don-t-buy-into-the-idea-that-an-irish-writer-should-write-about/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“For a moment he considered running across the platform to tell people about the empty seats in the carriage, but he decided not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/for-a-moment-he-considered-running-across-the-platform-to-tell-people/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [I move between the two: I write an adult novel, and then I write a children's book. I quite enjoy that. It's a nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/i-move-between-the-two-i-write-an-adult-novel-and-then-i-write-a/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“Pavel is not a doctor any more, Bruno' said Maria quietly. 'But he was. In another life. Before he came here”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/pavel-is-not-a-doctor-any-more-bruno-said-maria-quietly-but-he-was-in/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [You’re my best friend, Shmuel,’ he said. ‘My best friend for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/you-re-my-best-friend-shmuel-he-said-my-best-friend-for-life/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“Astonishing how everyone is willing to go abroad to fight for the rights of foreigners while having such little concern for those of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/astonishing-how-everyone-is-willing-to-go-abroad-to-fight-for-the/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [Bruno opened his eyes in wonder at the things he saw. In his imagination he had tough that all the huts were full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/bruno-opened-his-eyes-in-wonder-at-the-things-he-saw-in-his/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [I wrote my first book at 20, but my whole focus from about the age of 12 was to be a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/i-wrote-my-first-book-at-20-but-my-whole-focus-from-about-the-age-of/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) [Explore all 135 John Boyne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) ## More Afternoon tea quotes > [My grandparents were far more English in their manners than they were Chinese. For example, we spoke English at home, had afternoon tea every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/my-grandparents-were-far-more-english-in-their-manners-than-they-were/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [“Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful, and lunch could so comfortably slip into afternoon tea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one-was-not-careful-and-lunch/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [Someone's killed 100,000 people. We're almost going, "Well done! You killed 100,000 people? You must get up very early in the morning! I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/someone-s-killed-100-000-people-we-re-almost-going-well-done-you/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/there-are-few-hours-in-life-more-agreeable-than-the-hour-dedicated-to/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [I would give my back tooth - the one with the silver filling - to eat afternoon tea with my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-dent/i-would-give-my-back-tooth-the-one-with-the-silver-filling-to-eat/) [Grace Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-dent/) > [“You can serve high tea around the dining room table, but afternoon tea is more of a living room occasion, with everything brought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-hynes/you-can-serve-high-tea-around-the-dining-room-table-but-afternoon-tea/) Angela Hynes > [“Mrs. Jones had invited a great and well-known violinist to entertain at her afternoon tea. When it was all over, everyone crowded around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/mrs-jones-had-invited-a-great-and-well-known-violinist-to-entertain/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [ “Nowhere is the English genius of domesticity more notably evident than in the festival of afternoon tea. The \[...\] chink of cups and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nowhere-is-the-english-genius-of-domesticity-more-notably-evident/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/under-certain-circumstances-there-are-few-hours-in-life-more/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“At that moment, Bobbie Faye felt an unbridled hatred for every movie heroine who'd ever raced away from he villain in Jimmy Choo shoes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-mcgee-causey/at-that-moment-bobbie-faye-felt-an-unbridled-hatred-for-every-movie/) [Toni McGee Causey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-mcgee-causey/) > [Jihad is becoming as American as apple pie and as British as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-al-awlaki/jihad-is-becoming-as-american-as-apple-pie-and-as-british-as/) Anwar al-Awlaki > [Everyone's saved, we're in the grave. See you there for afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jethro-tull/everyone-s-saved-we-re-in-the-grave-see-you-there-for-afternoon-tea/) [Jethro Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jethro-tull/) > [Just as London is not one endless afternoon tea, L.A. isn't all super-fit, health food-crazy freaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suki-waterhouse/just-as-london-is-not-one-endless-afternoon-tea-l-a-isn-t-all-super/) [Suki Waterhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suki-waterhouse/) > [“Miss West is never idle. Below, in the big after-room, she does her own laundering. Nor will she let the steward touch her father's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/miss-west-is-never-idle-below-in-the-big-after-room-she-does-her-own/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Flying has changed how we imagine our planet, which we have seen whole from space, so that even the farthest nations are ecological neighbors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/flying-has-changed-how-we-imagine-our-planet-which-we-have-seen-whole/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) [Browse all 38 Afternoon tea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon-tea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He's crazy,\" Bruno said, twirling a finger in circles around the side of his head and whistling to indicate just how crazy he thought he was. \"He went up to a cat on the street the other day and invited her over for afternoon tea.\" \"What did the cat say?\" asked Gretel, who was making a sandwich in the corner of the kitchen. \"Nothing.\" explained Bruno. \"It was a cat.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Boyne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger-in-circles-around-the-side-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afternoon tea" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger-in-circles-around-the-side-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/john-boyne-2944_afternoon-tea_he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger_2958715.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/john-boyne-2944_afternoon-tea_he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger_2958715.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/john-boyne-2944_afternoon-tea_he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger_2958715.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He's crazy,\" Bruno said, twirling a finger in circles around the side of his head and whistling to indicate…” — John Boyne", "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": "John Boyne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He's crazy,\" Bruno said, twirling a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger-in-circles-around-the-side-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/he-s-crazy-bruno-said-twirling-a-finger-in-circles-around-the-side-of/#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 } } ] } ```