---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I put my hand down below the table to…"
description: "\"“I put my hand down below the table to check my zipper. You have to stand before a jury only once with your fly open and it will never happen again”\" —..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/michael-connelly-1004_attorneys_i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-ch_183516.jpg"
---

#  I put my hand down below the table to check my zipper. You…

![“I put my hand down below the table to check my zipper. You have to stand before a jury only once with your fly open and it will never happen again” quote by Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/michael-connelly-1004_attorneys_i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-ch_183516.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/michael-connelly-1004_attorneys_i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-ch_183516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/michael-connelly-1004_attorneys_i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-ch_183516.jpg)

> ““I put my hand down below the table to check my zipper. You have to stand before a jury only once with your fly open and it will never happen again””

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

## About This Quote

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

A courtroom mishap can be mortifying, but such embarrassing moments are rare and should not dominate confidence.

**In simple terms:** Embarrassing moments are rare and should not define you.

Key Takeaway

Learn from the incident, then move on.

Themes

humor humility confidence learning

Mood

lighthearted pragmatic

Type

motivational humorous

When to use this quote

- court appearances
- public presentations
- interview settings

Key Concepts

social anxiety public speaking

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps can you take to prevent similar errors?
- How can you reframe embarrassment into growth?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on a single slip can cause undue stress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Attorneys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attorneys/) [Check Zipper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/check-zipper-1955771/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Jury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jury/) [Jury Fly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jury-fly-1955769/) [Stand Jury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stand-jury-1955770/) [Zipper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zipper/) [Zipper Stand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zipper-stand-1955772/)

## Related quotes

> [“You know what my father said about innocent clients? ... He said the scariest client a lawyer will ever have is an innocent client.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/you-know-what-my-father-said-about-innocent-clients-he-said-the/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“ There is no client as scary as an innocent man. " J. Michael Haller, Criminal Defense Attorney, Los Angeles, 1962.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/there-is-no-client-as-scary-as-an-innocent-man-j-michael-haller/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [So, we get into the first piece. Then, layer, layer, layer, do all of this. Then we jump into the trousers. Then I'm zip-tied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-feore/so-we-get-into-the-first-piece-then-layer-layer-layer-do-all-of-this/)

[Colm Feore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-feore/)

> [“If you turned sideways and stuck your tongue out, you could probably pass for a zipper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/if-you-turned-sideways-and-stuck-your-tongue-out-you-could-probably/)

[Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/)

> [The zipper opened all the way down our spines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-zipper-opened-all-the-way-down-our-spines/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“When the zipper snaps open, Ben pauses, his breath hot in my ear. "Janelle Tenner," he whispers. "I fucking love you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-norris/when-the-zipper-snaps-open-ben-pauses-his-breath-hot-in-my-ear/)

[Elizabeth Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-norris/)

> [That akward moment when you notice someone's zipper is down, but you don't won't to say anything because you don't have a good excuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-akward-moment-when-you-notice-someone-s-zipper-is-down-but-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“She felt the glide of his hair as he lowered his head to study the zipper on her skirt. Her imagination supplied other places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-bangs/she-felt-the-glide-of-his-hair-as-he-lowered-his-head-to-study-the/)

[Nina Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-bangs/)

> [If its not your zipper, it's not your problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/if-its-not-your-zipper-it-s-not-your-problem/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [“So am I going to get a zipper in my chest?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/so-am-i-going-to-get-a-zipper-in-my-chest/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [Sometimes the thing that brings us together also pulls us apart. Sort of like a zipper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/sometimes-the-thing-that-brings-us-together-also-pulls-us-apart-sort/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [A good artist's always got his hand in his zipper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/a-good-artist-s-always-got-his-hand-in-his-zipper/)

[Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

> [What has 142 teeth and holds back the incredible hulk? My zipper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-has-142-teeth-and-holds-back-the-incredible-hulk-my-zipper/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Nice pants, can I test the zipper?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nice-pants-can-i-test-the-zipper/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Zippers are primal and modern at the very same time. On the one hand, your zipper is primitive and reptilian, on the other, mechanical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/zippers-are-primal-and-modern-at-the-very-same-time-on-the-one-hand/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

## More by Michael Connelly

> [It's about being fair. It's about Black Lives Matter. Yes, they matter. Everybody counts or nobody counts, and I think if more cops had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/it-s-about-being-fair-it-s-about-black-lives-matter-yes-they-matter/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“Someone’s coming.” Terry McCaleb looked at his wife and then followed her eyes down to the winding road below. He could see the golf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/someone-s-coming-terry-mccaleb-looked-at-his-wife-and-then-followed/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [I love movies. Movies have influenced me as a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-love-movies-movies-have-influenced-me-as-a-writer/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“There is no end of things in the heart. Somebody once told me that. She said it came from a poem she believed in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/there-is-no-end-of-things-in-the-heart-somebody-once-told-me-that-she/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [I chose deliberately for Harry Bosch to age chronologically with the books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-chose-deliberately-for-harry-bosch-to-age-chronologically-with-the/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“Are you okay?” he asked. “I’m fine, yeah,” she said. She wiped tears off her cheeks. “Somebody who totally fucked me over died today,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/are-you-okay-he-asked-i-m-fine-yeah-she-said-she-wiped-tears-off-her/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“At the bottom of the hill, after Boston College, the route passes St. Ignatius Church on the right. It was here that textile worker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/at-the-bottom-of-the-hill-after-boston-college-the-route-passes-st/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“He said no. He said, in very fine English, ‘I buy, I don’t sell.’ Then he escorted me out. But I think that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/he-said-no-he-said-in-very-fine-english-i-buy-i-don-t-sell-then-he/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“Living in L.A. sometimes felt like you were riding shotgun with the devil to the apocalypse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/living-in-l-a-sometimes-felt-like-you-were-riding-shotgun-with-the/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“The paying jobs were few and she was often taken advantage of by the leeches who were part of the entertainment industry. But she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/the-paying-jobs-were-few-and-she-was-often-taken-advantage-of-by-the/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [“Lean in, invade that foot and a half that is all theirs, their own space. Lean back when you get what you want. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/lean-in-invade-that-foot-and-a-half-that-is-all-theirs-their-own/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [I have a large collection of biographies about jazz musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-have-a-large-collection-of-biographies-about-jazz-musicians/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [I was fired as an actor on 'Bosch.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-was-fired-as-an-actor-on-bosch/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [Maybe it has something to do with being a reporter for a long time that I don't look to newspapers and television and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/maybe-it-has-something-to-do-with-being-a-reporter-for-a-long-time/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [I was enamored of detectives as a teenager. I liked what they did - piecing things together, thinking about situations. But to get there?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-was-enamored-of-detectives-as-a-teenager-i-liked-what-they-did/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

[Explore all 306 Michael Connelly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

## More Attorneys quotes

> [The term 'human rights defender,' incidentally, isn't something I or my attorneys came up with. Personally, I find it a little embarrassing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-churchill/the-term-human-rights-defender-incidentally-isn-t-something-i-or-my/)

[Ward Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-churchill/)

> [I hate my own attorneys!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-hate-my-own-attorneys/)

[Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/)

> [I think most defense attorneys know, to some extent, their clients are guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/i-think-most-defense-attorneys-know-to-some-extent-their-clients-are/)

[Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/)

> [“I believe that there is something in all of us that is seeking expression, that wants to be heard, that wants to be accepted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-d-hart/i-believe-that-there-is-something-in-all-of-us-that-is-seeking/)

[Robin D. Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-d-hart/)

> [I made no pretense of doing balanced reporting about murder. I was appalled by defense attorneys who would do anything to win an acquittal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-dunne/i-made-no-pretense-of-doing-balanced-reporting-about-murder-i-was/)

[Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-dunne/)

> [“Doctors possessed a built-in animosity toward attorneys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-methos/doctors-possessed-a-built-in-animosity-toward-attorneys/)

[Victor Methos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-methos/)

> [I think attorneys are so busy...you know they're always taught to argue everything, and always weight everything, weigh both sides. They are always devil's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/i-think-attorneys-are-so-busy-you-know-they-re-always-taught-to-argue/)

[Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/)

> [When you get involved in litigation with attorneys, man, they drag you down in the mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porter-wagoner/when-you-get-involved-in-litigation-with-attorneys-man-they-drag-you/)

[Porter Wagoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porter-wagoner/)

> [Yes, the rich will find ways to avoid paying more taxes, courtesy of clever accountants and tax attorneys. But this has always been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/yes-the-rich-will-find-ways-to-avoid-paying-more-taxes-courtesy-of/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [“ There is no client as scary as an innocent man. " J. Michael Haller, Criminal Defense Attorney, Los Angeles, 1962.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/there-is-no-client-as-scary-as-an-innocent-man-j-michael-haller/)

[Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/)

> [Whenever you manage more than 100 attorneys, there's always going to be attorneys who believe that someone isn't as good as they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-meehan/whenever-you-manage-more-than-100-attorneys-there-s-always-going-to/)

[Pat Meehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-meehan/)

> [“Change cannot and will not happen overnight. But the intent to evolve will produce opportunities for growth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-d-hart/change-cannot-and-will-not-happen-overnight-but-the-intent-to-evolve/)

[Robin D. Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-d-hart/)

> [“Law firms can create environments for abusive relationships. This is especially true if an attorney has no self-direction, has no independent means of financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-d-hart/law-firms-can-create-environments-for-abusive-relationships-this-is/)

[Robin D. Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-d-hart/)

> [“Some people don’t like lawyers, that is, until they need them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-eade/some-people-don-t-like-lawyers-that-is-until-they-need-them/)

[Kenneth Eade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-eade/)

> [What Bill Clinton did to us was cruel. The White House gave my attorneys indications that there was a good chance for my clemency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-peltier/what-bill-clinton-did-to-us-was-cruel-the-white-house-gave-my/)

[Leonard Peltier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-peltier/)

[Browse all 45 Attorneys quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attorneys/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I put my hand down below the table to check my zipper. You have to stand before a jury only once with your fly open and it will never happen again”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Connelly"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-check-my-zipper-you-have-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Attorneys"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-check-my-zipper-you-have-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/michael-connelly-1004_attorneys_i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-ch_183516.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/michael-connelly-1004_attorneys_i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-ch_183516.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/michael-connelly-1004_attorneys_i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-ch_183516.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I put my hand down below the table to check my zipper. You have to stand before a jury only once with your…” — Michael Connelly",
                "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": "Michael Connelly",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I put my hand down below...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-check-my-zipper-you-have-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-put-my-hand-down-below-the-table-to-check-my-zipper-you-have-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
