--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a fine line between funny and…" description: "\"“There's a fine line between funny and annoying – and it's exactly the width of a quotation mark.”\" — Martha Brockenbrough" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/martha-brockenbrough-55055_bad-habits_there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-an_802643.jpg" --- # There's a fine line between funny and annoying – and it's… ![“There's a fine line between funny and annoying – and it's exactly the width of a quotation mark.” quote by Martha Brockenbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/martha-brockenbrough-55055_bad-habits_there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-an_802643.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/martha-brockenbrough-55055_bad-habits_there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-an_802643.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/martha-brockenbrough-55055_bad-habits_there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-an_802643.jpg) > ““There's a fine line between funny and annoying – and it's exactly the width of a quotation mark.”” [Martha Brockenbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-brockenbrough/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor hinges on balance; too much can become irritation, and the smallest punctuation can tip it. **In simple terms:** Humor is a fine line; a tiny mark can shift it. Key Takeaway Mind the balance between wit and annoyance. Themes humor communication boundaries Mood playful reflective Type observational witty When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - writing - online comments Key Concepts social dynamics tone perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you gauge when humor crosses the line? - What cues help you adjust tone? A Different Perspective Humor is subjective; cultural context can change what's funny. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Annoying Exactly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/annoying-exactly-6142733/) [Bad habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-habits/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Fine line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine-line/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Funny Annoying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-annoying-1540880/) [Grammar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grammar/) [Grammar humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grammar-humor/) [Line Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/line-funny-1099070/) [Quotation Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quotation-mark-379611/) [Quotation marks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quotation-marks/) [Width Quotation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/width-quotation-6142732/) ## Related quotes > [“In the United States, periods and commas go inside the quotation mark. In Britain, they go outside the quotation mark. Squiggly said, “No.” (United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-fogarty/in-the-united-states-periods-and-commas-go-inside-the-quotation-mark/) [Mignon Fogarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-fogarty/) > [Funny how the annoying things people do are less annoying when you do them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/funny-how-the-annoying-things-people-do-are-less-annoying-when-you-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life has this funny and annoying way of making you feel guilty for things you failed to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayssus/life-has-this-funny-and-annoying-way-of-making-you-feel-guilty-for/) [Michael Hayssus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayssus/) > [My mom let me kind of run free and be rowdy. She encouraged it. I'm a youngest child. 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It's so depressing."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/the-simplest-comment-on-my-book-came-from-my-ballet-teacher-she-said/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [There is a fine line between what is funny and disrespectful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zendaya-coleman/there-is-a-fine-line-between-what-is-funny-and-disrespectful/) [Zendaya Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zendaya-coleman/) > [“The classic definition of slapstick runs along the line of, "Funny is someone else ramming his face repeatedly into a brick wall.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/the-classic-definition-of-slapstick-runs-along-the-line-of-funny-is/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [I don't know how to be like a Bill Murray or a Will Ferrell, these guys who know how to make a line funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/i-don-t-know-how-to-be-like-a-bill-murray-or-a-will-ferrell-these/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [ I just think \[Gangster Party Line\] is funny and stupid and all the dudes in it are real dudes. It's just a funny construction. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-just-think-gangster-party-line-is-funny-and-stupid-and-all-the/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [If you try to deliver a funny line in a funny way, it comes out as wacky and you ruin the scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/if-you-try-to-deliver-a-funny-line-in-a-funny-way-it-comes-out-as/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [I love to do comedy, and I don't think of things as drama or comedy. I think that if it's a funny line, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-baker/i-love-to-do-comedy-and-i-don-t-think-of-things-as-drama-or-comedy-i/) [Kathy Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-baker/) > [I don't control the line of 'funny,' 'funny,' 'funny,' 'not funny.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-don-t-control-the-line-of-funny-funny-funny-not-funny/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [I'm usually sort of ambiguous in terms of whether I'm playing a good person or a bad person. I can walk that line of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-hill/i-m-usually-sort-of-ambiguous-in-terms-of-whether-i-m-playing-a-good/) [Amy Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-hill/) > [“Despite centuries of English literature, the most famous split infinitive in all of history comes from Star Trek.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-curtis-venture/despite-centuries-of-english-literature-the-most-famous-split/) [R. Curtis Venture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-curtis-venture/) > [“When spreading vicious and damaging gossip about the private affairs of others, one must always use proper grammar and posture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rhine/when-spreading-vicious-and-damaging-gossip-about-the-private-affairs/) [Scott Rhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rhine/) ## More by Martha Brockenbrough > [“I, however, have not yet succeeded at love. Henry hardly looks at me. And to think that I've made him at least thirty-seven sandwiches.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-brockenbrough/i-however-have-not-yet-succeeded-at-love-henry-hardly-looks-at-me-and/) [Martha Brockenbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-brockenbrough/) > [“This same system could condemn injustice, but instead it chooses to condemn something as simple and fundamental as the search for the second half.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-brockenbrough/this-same-system-could-condemn-injustice-but-instead-it-chooses-to/) [Martha Brockenbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-brockenbrough/) > [“In my opinion, anyone who claims to speak for God is probably talking out of the wrong end, anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-brockenbrough/in-my-opinion-anyone-who-claims-to-speak-for-god-is-probably-talking/) [Martha Brockenbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-brockenbrough/) > [“When you miss someone, they leave a person-shaped hole behind in the world that nothing can ever fill. 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It feels more like you're going to work when you get up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-beaton/working-at-home-is-hard-it-tends-to-give-you-bad-habits-it-feels-more/) [Kate Beaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-beaton/) > [Even the most fickle are faithful to a few bad habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-fickle-are-faithful-to-a-few-bad-habits/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“It's a very bad habit to put off disagreeable things...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/it-s-a-very-bad-habit-to-put-off-disagreeable-things/) [L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/) > [Sometimes it doesn't take much to slip back into bad habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/didier-deschamps/sometimes-it-doesn-t-take-much-to-slip-back-into-bad-habits/) [Didier Deschamps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/didier-deschamps/) > [I have the same friends and the same bad habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/i-have-the-same-friends-and-the-same-bad-habits/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [I don't want to be overdramatic about it, but I'm starting to see a lot of my bad habits get the best of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gibbard/i-don-t-want-to-be-overdramatic-about-it-but-i-m-starting-to-see-a/) [Ben Gibbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gibbard/) > [The first duty of a Christian, of a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is to deny himself. To deny oneself means to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innocent-of-alaska/the-first-duty-of-a-christian-of-a-disciple-and-follower-of-jesus/) [Innocent of Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innocent-of-alaska/) > [The game is played out of instinct, but everyone on the ice has habits - good and bad. So the key to the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/the-game-is-played-out-of-instinct-but-everyone-on-the-ice-has-habits/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [“So then, according to Jesus, the ‘evils’ which we think, say and do are not due primarily to our environment, nor are they bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/so-then-according-to-jesus-the-evils-which-we-think-say-and-do-are/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [My bad habits aren't my title. My strengths and my talent are my title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layne-staley/my-bad-habits-aren-t-my-title-my-strengths-and-my-talent-are-my-title/) [Layne Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layne-staley/) > [Movies are one of the bad habits that have corrupted our century. They have slipped into the American mind more misinformation in one evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hecht/movies-are-one-of-the-bad-habits-that-have-corrupted-our-century-they/) [Ben Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hecht/) > [You'd think that in a fight, NOT MOVING would be a bad habit!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/you-d-think-that-in-a-fight-not-moving-would-be-a-bad-habit/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [Correcting bad habits cannot be done by forbidding or punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baden-powell/correcting-bad-habits-cannot-be-done-by-forbidding-or-punishment/) [Robert Baden-Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baden-powell/) > [I think we sometimes think, 'it is just preseason. These games are for the fans mostly.' It's for ourselves to get in shape and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-johnson/i-think-we-sometimes-think-it-is-just-preseason-these-games-are-for/) [Larry Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-johnson/) > [All day long the thoughts that occupy your mind, your Secret Place, as Jesus calls it, are moulding your destiny for good or evil;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-fox/all-day-long-the-thoughts-that-occupy-your-mind-your-secret-place-as/) [Emmet Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-fox/) [Browse all 425 Bad habits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-habits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There's a fine line between funny and annoying – and it's exactly the width of a quotation mark.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martha Brockenbrough" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-brockenbrough/there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-annoying-and-it-s-exactly-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad habits" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-brockenbrough/there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-annoying-and-it-s-exactly-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/martha-brockenbrough-55055_bad-habits_there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-an_802643.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/martha-brockenbrough-55055_bad-habits_there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-an_802643.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/martha-brockenbrough-55055_bad-habits_there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-an_802643.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's a fine line between funny and annoying – and it's exactly the width of a quotation mark.” — Martha Brockenbrough", "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": "Martha Brockenbrough", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-brockenbrough/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There's a fine line between funny...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-brockenbrough/there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-annoying-and-it-s-exactly-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-brockenbrough/there-s-a-fine-line-between-funny-and-annoying-and-it-s-exactly-the/#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 } } ] } ```