---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man who could make so vile a pun would…"
description: "\"A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket.\" — John Dennis"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/john-dennis-249099_quote_a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would_1322800.jpg"
---

#  A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to…

![“A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket.” quote by John Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/john-dennis-249099_quote_a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would_1322800.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/john-dennis-249099_quote_a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would_1322800.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/john-dennis-249099_quote_a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would_1322800.jpg)

> “A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket.”

John Dennis

## About This Quote

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

It humorously links a vulgar pun to a willingness to commit petty theft, implying moral laxity.

**In simple terms:** A crude joke may indicate a lack of moral restraint.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how humor reflects character.

Themes

morality humor ethics behavior character

Mood

wry critical

Type

analysis observation

When to use this quote

- casual conversation
- comedy shows
- ethical debates

Key Concepts

social commentary linguistic analysis moral psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- Does a bad joke always signal bad character?
- Can humor be separated from ethics?

A Different Perspective

Humor can be harmless without indicating criminal intent.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [Murky language means someone wants to pick your pocket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/murky-language-means-someone-wants-to-pick-your-pocket/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [A man that will take back a move at Chess will pick a pocket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-fenton/a-man-that-will-take-back-a-move-at-chess-will-pick-a-pocket/)

[Richard Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-fenton/)

> [I'm a bit of a pick-pocket on-set. If something is small enough to go in my pocket, and it will be neat memorabilia, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/i-m-a-bit-of-a-pick-pocket-on-set-if-something-is-small-enough-to-go/)

[Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/)

> [Envy ought to have no place allowed it in the hearts of people; for the goods of this present world are so vile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/envy-ought-to-have-no-place-allowed-it-in-the-hearts-of-people-for/)

[Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/)

> [“The queen of Aeris journeyed for three days through snowy plains before she reached a bridge that led to the mouth of the Mountain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-casavant/the-queen-of-aeris-journeyed-for-three-days-through-snowy-plains/)

Alexandra Casavant

> [To be good to the vile is to throw water into the sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/to-be-good-to-the-vile-is-to-throw-water-into-the-sea/)

[Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/)

> [Men are vile, violent and without self-control. It cannot be contested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-the-femitheist/men-are-vile-violent-and-without-self-control-it-cannot-be-contested/)

[Krista The Femitheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-the-femitheist/)

> [“He said, men are vile. I said, the vilest thing about them is that they can say that with a smile on their faces.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/he-said-men-are-vile-i-said-the-vilest-thing-about-them-is-that-they/)

[John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/)

> [The nature of men and women - their essential nature - is so vile and despicable that if you were to portray a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-nature-of-men-and-women-their-essential-nature-is-so-vile-and/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [The lie is so vile, that even if it were in speaking well of godly things, it would take off something from God's grace;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-lie-is-so-vile-that-even-if-it-were-in-speaking-well-of-godly/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> ['Sblood, you starveling, you elf-skin, you dried neat's tongue, you bull's pizzle, you stock-fish! O for breath to utter what is like thee! you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sblood-you-starveling-you-elf-skin-you-dried-neat-s-tongue-you-bull-s/)

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

> [If you're going to take a jab at someone, you should at least have a bit more of a personal relationship with them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harland-williams/if-you-re-going-to-take-a-jab-at-someone-you-should-at-least-have-a/)

[Harland Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harland-williams/)

> [“Braveggia, urla! T'affretta a palesarmi il fondo dell'alma ria!'' ''Shout, braggart! What a rush you're in to show me the last dregs of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-puccini/braveggia-urla-t-affretta-a-palesarmi-il-fondo-dell-alma-ria-shout/)

[Giacomo Puccini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-puccini/)

> [Will you marry me, vile and abominable girl that you are? Yes, but, mind, it only to save my neck from being wrung!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgette-heyer/will-you-marry-me-vile-and-abominable-girl-that-you-are-yes-but-mind/)

[Georgette Heyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgette-heyer/)

> [“Using vile means to attain worthy ends makes the ends themselves vile. Let them ride on the backs of doctors and medical assistants, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/using-vile-means-to-attain-worthy-ends-makes-the-ends-themselves-vile/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

## More Vile quotes

> [“Using vile means to attain worthy ends makes the ends themselves vile. Let them ride on the backs of doctors and medical assistants, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/using-vile-means-to-attain-worthy-ends-makes-the-ends-themselves-vile/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [Will you marry me, vile and abominable girl that you are? Yes, but, mind, it only to save my neck from being wrung!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgette-heyer/will-you-marry-me-vile-and-abominable-girl-that-you-are-yes-but-mind/)

[Georgette Heyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgette-heyer/)

> [“Braveggia, urla! T'affretta a palesarmi il fondo dell'alma ria!'' ''Shout, braggart! What a rush you're in to show me the last dregs of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-puccini/braveggia-urla-t-affretta-a-palesarmi-il-fondo-dell-alma-ria-shout/)

[Giacomo Puccini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-puccini/)

> [If you're going to take a jab at someone, you should at least have a bit more of a personal relationship with them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harland-williams/if-you-re-going-to-take-a-jab-at-someone-you-should-at-least-have-a/)

[Harland Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harland-williams/)

> ['Sblood, you starveling, you elf-skin, you dried neat's tongue, you bull's pizzle, you stock-fish! O for breath to utter what is like thee! you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sblood-you-starveling-you-elf-skin-you-dried-neat-s-tongue-you-bull-s/)

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

> [The lie is so vile, that even if it were in speaking well of godly things, it would take off something from God's grace;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-lie-is-so-vile-that-even-if-it-were-in-speaking-well-of-godly/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [The nature of men and women - their essential nature - is so vile and despicable that if you were to portray a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-nature-of-men-and-women-their-essential-nature-is-so-vile-and/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [“He said, men are vile. I said, the vilest thing about them is that they can say that with a smile on their faces.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/he-said-men-are-vile-i-said-the-vilest-thing-about-them-is-that-they/)

[John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/)

> [Men are vile, violent and without self-control. It cannot be contested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-the-femitheist/men-are-vile-violent-and-without-self-control-it-cannot-be-contested/)

[Krista The Femitheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-the-femitheist/)

> [To be good to the vile is to throw water into the sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/to-be-good-to-the-vile-is-to-throw-water-into-the-sea/)

[Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/)

> [“The queen of Aeris journeyed for three days through snowy plains before she reached a bridge that led to the mouth of the Mountain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-casavant/the-queen-of-aeris-journeyed-for-three-days-through-snowy-plains/)

Alexandra Casavant

> [Envy ought to have no place allowed it in the hearts of people; for the goods of this present world are so vile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/envy-ought-to-have-no-place-allowed-it-in-the-hearts-of-people-for/)

[Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/)

> [“I sve su vile, sve su kraljice, i sve su nevažne naspram nje.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/or-e-bala-evi/i-sve-su-vile-sve-su-kraljice-i-sve-su-neva-ne-naspram-nje/)

[Đorđe Balašević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/or-e-bala-evi/)

> [As we are, so we associate. The good, by affinity, seek the good; the vile, by affinity, the vile. Thus of their own volition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/as-we-are-so-we-associate-the-good-by-affinity-seek-the-good-the-vile/)

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

> [To be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/to-be-conquered-by-yourself-is-of-all-things-most-shameful-and-vile/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

Browse all 111 Vile quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Dennis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dennis/a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would-not-scruple-to-pick-a-pocket/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Vile"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dennis/a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would-not-scruple-to-pick-a-pocket/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/john-dennis-249099_quote_a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would_1322800.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/john-dennis-249099_quote_a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would_1322800.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/john-dennis-249099_quote_a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would_1322800.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket.” — John Dennis",
                "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 Dennis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dennis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A man who could make so...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dennis/a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would-not-scruple-to-pick-a-pocket/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dennis/a-man-who-could-make-so-vile-a-pun-would-not-scruple-to-pick-a-pocket/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
