Humor Quote by Mark Forsyth
““The Latin word for sausage was botulus, from which English gets two words. One of them is the lovely botuliform, which means sausage-shaped and is a more useful word than you might think. The other word is botulism. Sausages may taste lovely, but it's usually best not to ask what's actually in them. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it was a sausage-maker who disposed of the body.””
About This Quote
Source Book: "The Etymologicon" by Mark Forsyth, 2011
Uses sausage etymology to illustrate how words can have pleasant and dangerous meanings, warning curiosity can be risky.
In simple terms: Words can be both delightful and harmful; curiosity may lead to danger.
Key Takeaway
Be cautious with curiosity about hidden risks.
Themes
language
etymology
curiosity
danger
humor
Mood
witty
cautionary
Type
humorous
educational
When to use this quote
- reading
- cooking
- researching obscure terms
- public speaking
Key Concepts
Semantics
food history
risk awareness
Questions to Reflect On
- What hidden dangers do everyday words conceal?
- When does curiosity become reckless?
A Different Perspective
Humor may downplay serious health risks.
![“Wouldst like to con a glimmer with me this early black?’, which he [Cab Calloway] helpfully explains as ‘the proper way to ask a young lady to go to the movies’. It should be noted here, that if the object of your affections replies ‘Kill me’, they are not requesting to be euthanatised and you…” quote by Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6c4/mark-forsyth-19782_cab-calloway_wouldst-like-to-con-a-glimmer-with-me-th_738657.jpg)
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
