---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is the sixty-nine,” I told him…"
description: "\"“This is the sixty-nine,” I told him, presenting the magazine in front of him. I put my fingers—two of them —on the action, so that he would not overlo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/jonathan-safran-foer-136_69_this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presen_226121.jpg"
---

#  This is the sixty-nine,” I told him, presenting the…

![“This is the sixty-nine,” I told him, presenting the magazine in front of him. I put my fingers—two of them —on the action, so that he would not overlook it. “Why is it dubbed sixty-nine?” he asked, because he is a person hot on fire with curiosity. “It was invented in 1969. My friend Gregory knows…” quote by Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/jonathan-safran-foer-136_69_this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presen_226121.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/jonathan-safran-foer-136_69_this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presen_226121.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/jonathan-safran-foer-136_69_this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presen_226121.jpg)

> ““This is the sixty-nine,” I told him, presenting the magazine in front of him. I put my fingers—two of them —on the action, so that he would not overlook it. “Why is it dubbed sixty-nine?” he asked, because he is a person hot on fire with curiosity. “It was invented in 1969. My friend Gregory knows a friend of the nephew of the inventor.” “What did people do before 1969?” “Merely blowjobs and masticating box, but never in chorus.” He will be made a VIP if I have a thing to do with it. This is where the story begins. But first I am burdened to recite my good appearance. I am unequivocally tall. I do not know any women who are taller than me. The women I know who are taller than me are lesbians, for whom 1969 was a very momentous year.””

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

## About This Quote

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

A humorous, absurd anecdote about a bizarre conversation concerning the number sixty‑nine and its cultural references, highlighting quirky curiosity and sexual innuendo.

**In simple terms:** A funny, odd story about a weird talk on sixty‑nine and jokes.

Key Takeaway

Embrace absurdity, question assumptions.

Themes

humor sexuality curiosity absurdity

Mood

playful irreverent

Type

anecdotal comic

When to use this quote

- social gatherings
- friendship
- ice‑breaker moments
- comic storytelling

Key Concepts

postmodernism social commentary

Questions to Reflect On

- How does absurd humor affect social bonding?
- When is sexual innuendo appropriate?

A Different Perspective

The joke may alienate or offend some audiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[1969 Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1969-friend-2300815/) [69](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-69-1028/) [Everything is illuminated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything-is-illuminated/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Invented 1969](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invented-1969-2300814/) [Tall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tall/) [Taller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taller/) [Taller Lesbians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taller-lesbians-2300816/)

## Related quotes

> [This is the sixty-nine," I told him, presenting the magazine in front of him. I put my fingers -- two of them -- on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presenting-the-magazine-in-front-of-2/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“I have tutored Little Igor to be a man of this world. For example, I exhibited him a smutty magazine three days yore, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-have-tutored-little-igor-to-be-a-man-of-this-world-for-example-i/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [69 Percent of the time people see something dirty in every sentence ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiara-benefiel/69-percent-of-the-time-people-see-something-dirty-in-every-sentence/)

[Kiara Benefiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiara-benefiel/)

> [Roses are red, violets are blue, you be the 6 and I'll be the 9](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alee/roses-are-red-violets-are-blue-you-be-the-6-and-i-ll-be-the-9/)

[Alee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alee/)

> [From the movie "Everything is Illuminated" based on a book by Jonathan Safran Foer: I have reflected many times upon our rigid search. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/from-the-movie-everything-is-illuminated-based-on-a-book-by-jonathan/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Every parent who loses a child finds a way to laugh again. The timbre begins to fade. The edge dulls. The hurt lessens. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/every-parent-who-loses-a-child-finds-a-way-to-laugh-again-the-timbre/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I am not a bad person. I am a good person who has lived in a bad time." Alex's grandfather..Everything is Illuminated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-am-not-a-bad-person-i-am-a-good-person-who-has-lived-in-a-bad-time/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I will describe my eyes and then begin the story. My eyes are blue and resplendent. Now I will begin the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-will-describe-my-eyes-and-then-begin-the-story-my-eyes-are-blue-and/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I spent my life learning to feel less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-spent-my-life-learning-to-feel-less/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [It has shown me that everything is illuminated in the light of the past. It is always along the side of us...on the inside,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-has-shown-me-that-everything-is-illuminated-in-the-light-of-the/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Our love was the affliction for which only our love was the cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/our-love-was-the-affliction-for-which-only-our-love-was-the-cure/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [To feel alone is to be alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/to-feel-alone-is-to-be-alone/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“I have been waiting for you for so long.” I pointed to the car. “We are searching for Trachimbrod.” “Oh,” she said and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-have-been-waiting-for-you-for-so-long-i-pointed-to-the-car-we-are/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“God loves the plagiarist. And so it is written, 'God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them." God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/god-loves-the-plagiarist-and-so-it-is-written-god-created-humankind/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“Brod’s life was a slow realization that the world was not for her, and that for whatever reason, she would never be happy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/brod-s-life-was-a-slow-realization-that-the-world-was-not-for-her-and/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

## More by Jonathan Safran Foer

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I try not to remember the life that I didn’t want to lose but lost and have to remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-try-not-to-remember-the-life-that-i-didn-t-want-to-lose-but-lost/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“I have an aristocratic smile and like to punch people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-have-an-aristocratic-smile-and-like-to-punch-people/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [He removed several pages of death certificates, which were picked up by another breeze and sent into the trees. Some would fall with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/he-removed-several-pages-of-death-certificates-which-were-picked-up/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I would have done anything for him. Maybe that was my sickness. We made love in nothing places and turned the lights off. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-would-have-done-anything-for-him-maybe-that-was-my-sickness-we-made/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“One day I wandered away from her and hid. I liked the way it felt to have someone look for me, to hear my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/one-day-i-wandered-away-from-her-and-hid-i-liked-the-way-it-felt-to/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [If nothing matters, there's nothing to save.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/if-nothing-matters-there-s-nothing-to-save/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“It was one of the best days of my life, a day during which I lived my life and didn't think about it at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-was-one-of-the-best-days-of-my-life-a-day-during-which-i-lived-my/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“The appearance was misleading- human dreams; rubbish heaps abundant yet ephemeral sudden and splendid, only to wilt and perish”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-appearance-was-misleading-human-dreams-rubbish-heaps-abundant-yet/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“the entirety of human society and moral progress represents an explicit transcendence of what’s “natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-entirety-of-human-society-and-moral-progress-represents-an/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“Food is not so much a symbol of freedom as the first requirement of freedom. We eat foods that are native to America on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/food-is-not-so-much-a-symbol-of-freedom-as-the-first-requirement-of/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“Rationally, factory farming is so obviously wrong, in so many ways. In all of my reading and conversations, I’ve yet to find a credible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/rationally-factory-farming-is-so-obviously-wrong-in-so-many-ways-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Just because you're an atheist, that doesn't mean you wouldn't love for things to have reasons for why they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/just-because-you-re-an-atheist-that-doesn-t-mean-you-wouldn-t-love/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Do you think I'm wonderful? she asked him one day as they leaned against the trunk of a petrified maple. No, he said. Why?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/do-you-think-i-m-wonderful-she-asked-him-one-day-as-they-leaned/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [My insides don't match up with my outsides. -Do anyone's inside and outsides match up? -I don't know. I'm only me. -Maybe that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/my-insides-don-t-match-up-with-my-outsides-do-anyone-s-inside-and/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

[Explore all 1,117 Jonathan Safran Foer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

## More 69 quotes

> [Roses are red, violets are blue, you be the 6 and I'll be the 9](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alee/roses-are-red-violets-are-blue-you-be-the-6-and-i-ll-be-the-9/)

[Alee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alee/)

> [69 Percent of the time people see something dirty in every sentence ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiara-benefiel/69-percent-of-the-time-people-see-something-dirty-in-every-sentence/)

[Kiara Benefiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiara-benefiel/)

[Browse all 3 69 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-69-1028/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“This is the sixty-nine,” I told him, presenting the magazine in front of him. I put my fingers—two of them —on the action, so that he would not overlook it. “Why is it dubbed sixty-nine?” he asked, because he is a person hot on fire with curiosity. “It was invented in 1969. My friend Gregory knows a friend of the nephew of the inventor.” “What did people do before 1969?” “Merely blowjobs and masticating box, but never in chorus.” He will be made a VIP if I have a thing to do with it. This is where the story begins. But first I am burdened to recite my good appearance. I am unequivocally tall. I do not know any women who are taller than me. The women I know who are taller than me are lesbians, for whom 1969 was a very momentous year.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Safran Foer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presenting-the-magazine-in-front-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "69"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presenting-the-magazine-in-front-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/jonathan-safran-foer-136_69_this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presen_226121.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/jonathan-safran-foer-136_69_this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presen_226121.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/jonathan-safran-foer-136_69_this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presen_226121.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“This is the sixty-nine,” I told him, presenting the magazine in front of him. I put my fingers—two of them…” — Jonathan Safran Foer",
                "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": "Jonathan Safran Foer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“This is the sixty-nine,” I told...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presenting-the-magazine-in-front-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-is-the-sixty-nine-i-told-him-presenting-the-magazine-in-front-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
