--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I left him thinking it over. If I were a…" description: "\"“I left him thinking it over. If I were a bookie, I should feel justified in offering a hundred to eight against.\" \"You can't have approached him prope..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/p-g-wodehouse-723_gambling_i-left-him-thinking-it-over-if-i-were-a_2880874.png" --- # I left him thinking it over. If I were a bookie, I should… ![“I left him thinking it over. If I were a bookie, I should feel justified in offering a hundred to eight against." "You can't have approached him properly. I might have known you would muck it up," said young Bingo. Which, considering what I had been through for his sake, struck me as a good bit…” quote by P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/p-g-wodehouse-723_gambling_i-left-him-thinking-it-over-if-i-were-a_2880874.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/p-g-wodehouse-723_gambling_i-left-him-thinking-it-over-if-i-were-a_2880874.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/p-g-wodehouse-723_gambling_i-left-him-thinking-it-over-if-i-were-a_2880874.png) > ““I left him thinking it over. If I were a bookie, I should feel justified in offering a hundred to eight against." "You can't have approached him properly. I might have known you would muck it up," said young Bingo. Which, considering what I had been through for his sake, struck me as a good bit sharper than the serpent's tooth.”” [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A witty exchange reveals the absurdity of gambling odds and the narrator’s self‑awareness of his own blunders, highlighting human folly in overconfidence. **In simple terms:** Overconfidence leads to mistakes. Key Takeaway Beware of hubris. Themes humor gambling self‑awareness folly Mood lighthearted ironic observational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - casino visits - stock market decisions - personal budgeting - team meetings Key Concepts probability social interaction Questions to Reflect On - What does “serpent’s tooth” symbolize? - How do you correct overconfidence? A Different Perspective Gambling analogies may not translate universally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gambling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gambling/) [Inimitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inimitable/) [Jeeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jeeves/) ## Related quotes > [“I say, you don't know how I could raise fifty quid somehow, do you?" "Why don't you work?" 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Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“Too often on such occasions one feels, as I feel so strongly with regard to poor old Stilton, that the kindly thing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/too-often-on-such-occasions-one-feels-as-i-feel-so-strongly-with/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“My late Uncle Henry, you see, was by way of being the blot on the Wooster escutcheon. An extremely decent chappie personally, and one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/my-late-uncle-henry-you-see-was-by-way-of-being-the-blot-on-the/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [ “...he switched on the \[flashlight\]. When he did so, he instantly became the center attraction to a rowdy mob of those gnats, moths, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/he-switched-on-the-flashlight-when-he-did-so-he-instantly-became-the/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“Conversationally, I am like a clockwork toy. I have to be set going.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/conversationally-i-am-like-a-clockwork-toy-i-have-to-be-set-going/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“One of the advantages a sister has when arguing with a brother is that she is under no obligation to be tactful. If she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/one-of-the-advantages-a-sister-has-when-arguing-with-a-brother-is/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“Liz," said Mr. Cootes, lost in admiration, "when it comes to doping out a scheme, you're the snake's eyebrows!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/liz-said-mr-cootes-lost-in-admiration-when-it-comes-to-doping-out-a/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“a chap who's supposed to stop chaps pinching things from chaps having a chap come along and pinch something from him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/a-chap-who-s-supposed-to-stop-chaps-pinching-things-from-chaps-having/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“Bertie, do you read Tennyson?" "Not if I can help.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/bertie-do-you-read-tennyson-not-if-i-can-help/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“It seems to be one of Nature’s laws that the most attractive girls should have the least attractive brothers. Fillmore Nicholas had not worn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/it-seems-to-be-one-of-nature-s-laws-that-the-most-attractive-girls/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) [Explore all 389 P.G. 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And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rothstein/the-town-will-never-be-the-same-after-the-tangiers-the-big/) Sam Rothstein > [I didn't want to be a slave to any passion anymore. I gave up card playing altogether, even bridge and gambling - more or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/i-didn-t-want-to-be-a-slave-to-any-passion-anymore-i-gave-up-card/) [Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/) > [Taxpayers would likely be responsible for treating addicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warren-kindt/taxpayers-would-likely-be-responsible-for-treating-addicts/) [John Warren Kindt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warren-kindt/) > [“My casino experience is to someone else their experience with their employer, of how the company has elected to behave solely for greed, profits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-talmage-mathis/my-casino-experience-is-to-someone-else-their-experience-with-their/) [John-Talmage Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-talmage-mathis/) > [And it´s so different for a lot of people I´ve known. One partner doesn´t love the other enough to stop drinking, or gambling, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-katsu/and-it-s-so-different-for-a-lot-of-people-i-ve-known-one-partner/) [Alma Katsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-katsu/) > [“It is impossible to make real progress in technology without gambling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/it-is-impossible-to-make-real-progress-in-technology-without-gambling/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and to keep them coming back. The longer they play, the more they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/in-the-casino-the-cardinal-rule-is-to-keep-them-playing-and-to-keep/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [Then they're like addicts; they can't help themselves... 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If I were a bookie, I should feel justified in offering a hundred to eight against.\" \"You can't have approached him properly. I might have known you would muck it up,\" said young Bingo. Which, considering what I had been through for his sake, struck me as a good bit sharper than the serpent's tooth.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "P.G. 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