--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marriage is an institution and that's…" description: "\"Marriage is an institution and that's where a couple finish up.\" — Les Dawson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/les-dawson-11947_couple_marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-wh_367089.jpg" --- # Marriage is an institution and that's where a couple… ![“Marriage is an institution and that's where a couple finish up.” quote by Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/les-dawson-11947_couple_marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-wh_367089.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/les-dawson-11947_couple_marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-wh_367089.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/les-dawson-11947_couple_marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-wh_367089.jpg) > “Marriage is an institution and that's where a couple finish up.” [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriage is humorously described as an institution where couples end up, implying a cynical view of its purpose. **In simple terms:** Marriage is an institution where couples finish up. Key Takeaway Question the assumptions we make about social institutions. Themes marriage institution humor skepticism Mood skeptical witty Type humorous satirical When to use this quote - relationship counseling - family planning - social expectations - life transitions Key Concepts social contracts life cycles satire Questions to Reflect On - Do institutions always end negatively? - What value do you find in marriage? A Different Perspective The joke may overlook the positive aspects of partnership. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) ## Related quotes > [Marriage is an institution and that's where a couple finishes up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-where-a-couple-finishes-up/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [While I believe in marriage as an institution, I am also petrified of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-kapoor/while-i-believe-in-marriage-as-an-institution-i-am-also-petrified-of/) [Shahid Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-kapoor/) > [If marriage be an institution derived from the law of nature, then, whatever has a natural tendency to discourage it or to destroy its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justice-joseph-story-supreme-court/if-marriage-be-an-institution-derived-from-the-law-of-nature-then/) Justice Joseph Story Supreme Court > [I think it's very important that we protect marriage as an institution between a man and a woman. I proposed a constitutional amendment. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-think-it-s-very-important-that-we-protect-marriage-as-an/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm not that big a fan of marriage as an institution, and I don't know why women need to have children to be seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-tomei/i-m-not-that-big-a-fan-of-marriage-as-an-institution-and-i-don-t-know/) [Marisa Tomei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-tomei/) > [Here in USA we respect someone's rights, and as we profess tolerance, we shouldn't change - or have to change - our basic views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/here-in-usa-we-respect-someone-s-rights-and-as-we-profess-tolerance/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Marriage is not an institution to be tampered with by mankind, and certainly not to be tampered with by those who are doing so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/marriage-is-not-an-institution-to-be-tampered-with-by-mankind-and/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [Even with all its problems, I will support marriage as an institution until something better comes along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blankenhorn/even-with-all-its-problems-i-will-support-marriage-as-an-institution/) [David Blankenhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blankenhorn/) > [Marriage is an institution fits in perfect harmony with the laws of nature; whereas systems of slavery and segregation were designed to brutally oppress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kingston/marriage-is-an-institution-fits-in-perfect-harmony-with-the-laws-of/) [Jack Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kingston/) > [The marriage institution cannot exist among slaves, and one sixth of the population of democratic America is denied it's privileges by the law of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-marriage-institution-cannot-exist-among-slaves-and-one-sixth-of/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“The liberal party said that marriage is an institution quite out of date, and that it needs reconstruction; and family life certainly afforded Stepan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-liberal-party-said-that-marriage-is-an-institution-quite-out-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I think there is some credibility to the notion that marriage is an institution. It meant something very different hundreds of years ago when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zak-orth/i-think-there-is-some-credibility-to-the-notion-that-marriage-is-an/) [Zak Orth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zak-orth/) > [Marriage is an institution in which a Man loses his Bachelors degree, and the Woman gets her Masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/marriage-is-an-institution-in-which-a-man-loses-his-bachelors-degree/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“Andrea Dworkin famously commented that “Marriage as an institution developed from rape as a practice.” In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-traister/andrea-dworkin-famously-commented-that-marriage-as-an-institution/) [Rebecca Traister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-traister/) > [The bottom line is, whether you're in it or you're searching for it, I believe marriage is an institution worth pursuing and protecting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-mccarthy/the-bottom-line-is-whether-you-re-in-it-or-you-re-searching-for-it-i/) [Jenna McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-mccarthy/) ## More by Les Dawson > [I discovered the wife's got asthma. Thank God - I thought she was hissing at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/i-discovered-the-wife-s-got-asthma-thank-god-i-thought-she-was/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [In awe I watched the waxing moon ride across the zenith of the heavens like an ambered chariot towards the ebon void of infinite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/in-awe-i-watched-the-waxing-moon-ride-across-the-zenith-of-the/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [I've just had some bad news. Tomorrow is the mother in law's funeral. And she's cancelled it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/i-ve-just-had-some-bad-news-tomorrow-is-the-mother-in-law-s-funeral/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [I can always tell when the mother in law's coming to stay; the mice throw themselves on the traps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/i-can-always-tell-when-the-mother-in-law-s-coming-to-stay-the-mice/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [The mother-in-law is the centre of a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/the-mother-in-law-is-the-centre-of-a-family/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [I went to my doctor and asked for something for persistent wind. He gave me a kite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/i-went-to-my-doctor-and-asked-for-something-for-persistent-wind-he/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [In awe, I watched the waxing moon ride across the zenith of the heavens like an ambered chariot towards the ebony void of infinite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/in-awe-i-watched-the-waxing-moon-ride-across-the-zenith-of-the-2/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [Marriage is an institution and that's where a couple finishes up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-where-a-couple-finishes-up/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [I saw six men kicking and punching the mother-in-law. My neighbour said 'Are you going to help?' I said 'No, six should be enough.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/i-saw-six-men-kicking-and-punching-the-mother-in-law-my-neighbour/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [With wives, men hide behind the air of bravado, which is basically a defence mechanism, I think. Clever creatures, women. Very clever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/with-wives-men-hide-behind-the-air-of-bravado-which-is-basically-a/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [Mind you, I've always been musical... Mother used to sit me on her knee and I'd whisper, 'Mummy, Mummy, sing me a lullaby do,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/mind-you-i-ve-always-been-musical-mother-used-to-sit-me-on-her-knee/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [How can you analyse what is funny? What's funny to one isn't funny to another... What's funny to you is a personal thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/how-can-you-analyse-what-is-funny-what-s-funny-to-one-isn-t-funny-to/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [The mother-in-law had an accident at work. A hot rivet dropped down her drawers and she fell off the oil rig.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/the-mother-in-law-had-an-accident-at-work-a-hot-rivet-dropped-down/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [I'm often accused of saying some pretty rotten things about my mother-in-law. But quite honestly, she's only got one major fault - it's called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/i-m-often-accused-of-saying-some-pretty-rotten-things-about-my-mother/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [My mother-in-law fell down a wishing well. I was amazed; I never knew they worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/my-mother-in-law-fell-down-a-wishing-well-i-was-amazed-i-never-knew/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) [Explore all 57 Les Dawson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) ## More Couple quotes > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [Sometimes they were together so often that it felt as though they really were a couple; sometimes weeks and months would go by before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-they-were-together-so-often-that-it-felt-as-though-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In a couple of decades you have half of the wells that are drilled right now, and you're talking about numbers in the millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/in-a-couple-of-decades-you-have-half-of-the-wells-that-are-drilled/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've had a couple knockouts, but I feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanderlei-silva/i-ve-had-a-couple-knockouts-but-i-feel-good/) [Wanderlei Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanderlei-silva/) > [There are bands that I am friends with, who will invite me up on stage. 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After all, they were a perfect match: similar backgrounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-becker-holstein/natalie-was-bored-in-her-marriage-at-first-she-could-hardly-admit-it/) [Barbara Becker Holstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-becker-holstein/) > [On Valentine's Day, couples in Calgary can celebrate their love for each other with couples' nude yoga - great way to get in shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sagal/on-valentine-s-day-couples-in-calgary-can-celebrate-their-love-for/) [Peter Sagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sagal/) > [Sometimes, when you've got a couple of females on the cast, you'll have a diva, or you'll have arguments. I've been on shows where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-whittle/sometimes-when-you-ve-got-a-couple-of-females-on-the-cast-you-ll-have/) [Ricky Whittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-whittle/) > [In the 1998 Oscars, I found myself in the bathroom in a stall, next to Tom Selleck. So I leaned over and I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/in-the-1998-oscars-i-found-myself-in-the-bathroom-in-a-stall-next-to/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) [Browse all 5,003 Couple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Marriage is an institution and that's where a couple finish up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Les Dawson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-where-a-couple-finish-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Couple" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-where-a-couple-finish-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/les-dawson-11947_couple_marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-wh_367089.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/les-dawson-11947_couple_marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-wh_367089.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/les-dawson-11947_couple_marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-wh_367089.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Marriage is an institution and that's where a couple finish up.” — Les Dawson", "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": "Les Dawson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Marriage is an institution and that's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-where-a-couple-finish-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/marriage-is-an-institution-and-that-s-where-a-couple-finish-up/#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 } } ] } ```