--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These are the times that try men's souls…" description: "\"“These are the times that try men's souls. It's never pleasant to be caught in the machinery when a favourite comes unstitched, and in the case of this..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/p-g-wodehouse-723_dashed_these-are-the-times-that-try-men-s-souls_1431959.png" --- # These are the times that try men's souls. It's never… ![“These are the times that try men's souls. It's never pleasant to be caught in the machinery when a favourite comes unstitched, and in the case of this particular dashed animal, one had come to look on the running of the race as a pure formality, a sort of quaint, old-world ceremony to be gone…” quote by P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/p-g-wodehouse-723_dashed_these-are-the-times-that-try-men-s-souls_1431959.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/p-g-wodehouse-723_dashed_these-are-the-times-that-try-men-s-souls_1431959.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/530/p-g-wodehouse-723_dashed_these-are-the-times-that-try-men-s-souls_1431959.png) > ““These are the times that try men's souls. It's never pleasant to be caught in the machinery when a favourite comes unstitched, and in the case of this particular dashed animal, one had come to look on the running of the race as a pure formality, a sort of quaint, old-world ceremony to be gone through before one sauntered up to the bookie and collected.”” [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. The quote humorously describes how people get caught up in outdated rituals and expectations, especially when they fail, turning a simple event into a farcical ordeal. **In simple terms:** People get tangled in old habits when things go wrong. Key Takeaway Question the value of pointless traditions. Themes humor tradition absurdity Mood wry ironic lighthearted Type satirical observational. When to use this quote - sports betting - everyday bureaucracy - office meetings - family gatherings Key Concepts social conformity ritual failure expectation Questions to Reflect On - Do you follow any rituals without questioning their purpose? - How does humor reveal hidden frustrations? A Different Perspective The satire may overlook genuine cultural significance of some rituals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dashed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dashed/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [These are the times that try men's souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/these-are-the-times-that-try-men-s-souls/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The true test of one's mettle is how many times you will try before you give up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/the-true-test-of-one-s-mettle-is-how-many-times-you-will-try-before/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [There are times I try to look older. And then there are times I look too young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alia-bhatt/there-are-times-i-try-to-look-older-and-then-there-are-times-i-look/) [Alia Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alia-bhatt/) > [I don't know really, it doesn't feel like it has changed to me but I think to have to move with the times. Try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-brand/i-don-t-know-really-it-doesn-t-feel-like-it-has-changed-to-me-but-i/) [Jo Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-brand/) > [You've just got to keep going through the tough times and try your best every time you play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-abraham/you-ve-just-got-to-keep-going-through-the-tough-times-and-try-your/) [Tammy Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-abraham/) > [A lot of times, you try and please your biological family, and you can't please them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/a-lot-of-times-you-try-and-please-your-biological-family-and-you-can/) [Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/) > [Most times when you try to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/most-times-when-you-try-to-be-all-things-to-all-people-you-end-up/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [You can't force a relationship to work out , if it didn't work out the first time , it won't the second time ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy/you-can-t-force-a-relationship-to-work-out-if-it-didn-t-work-out-the/) [Nancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy/) > [No matter how many times I try and move on, my heart always takes me back here to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-many-times-i-try-and-move-on-my-heart-always-takes-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was ten years old when my first 'Vogue' cover sang me its siren call and dashed me against the treacherous rocks of fashion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamish-bowles/i-was-ten-years-old-when-my-first-vogue-cover-sang-me-its-siren-call/) [Hamish Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamish-bowles/) > [“Hope can turn ugly when it's dashed over and over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-james/hope-can-turn-ugly-when-it-s-dashed-over-and-over/) [Ella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-james/) > [They dashed on towards that thin red line tipped with steel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-russell/they-dashed-on-towards-that-thin-red-line-tipped-with-steel/) William Howard Russell > [He had a dashing smile. 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This cannot be done by throwing the breakfast bacon at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/love-miss-halliday-is-a-delicate-plant-it-needs-tending-nurturing/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [ “\[A\]lways get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/a-lways-get-to-the-dialogue-as-soon-as-possible-i-always-feel-the/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“In these days in which we live, when existence has become a thing of infinite complexity and fate, if it slips us a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/in-these-days-in-which-we-live-when-existence-has-become-a-thing-of/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“Good Lord, Jeeves! Is there anything you don’t know?’ ‘I couldn’t say, sir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/good-lord-jeeves-is-there-anything-you-don-t-know-i-couldn-t-say-sir/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“Ask the first lion cub you meet, and it will tell you that, once you’ve tasted blood, there is no pulling up, and it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/ask-the-first-lion-cub-you-meet-and-it-will-tell-you-that-once-you-ve/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“He will lunch with you at your flat tomorrow at one-thirty. Please remember that he drinks no wine, strongly disapproves of smoking, and can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/he-will-lunch-with-you-at-your-flat-tomorrow-at-one-thirty-please/) [P.G. 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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. Wodehouse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) ## More Dashed quotes > [He had a dashing smile. It nearly dashed right off his face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/he-had-a-dashing-smile-it-nearly-dashed-right-off-his-face/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [They dashed on towards that thin red line tipped with steel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-russell/they-dashed-on-towards-that-thin-red-line-tipped-with-steel/) William Howard Russell > [“Hope can turn ugly when it's dashed over and over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-james/hope-can-turn-ugly-when-it-s-dashed-over-and-over/) [Ella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-james/) > [I was ten years old when my first 'Vogue' cover sang me its siren call and dashed me against the treacherous rocks of fashion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamish-bowles/i-was-ten-years-old-when-my-first-vogue-cover-sang-me-its-siren-call/) [Hamish Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamish-bowles/) > [He said there is 80 of us, ready to come down and the next thing I knew is that Jo Brown dashed in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamisese-mara/he-said-there-is-80-of-us-ready-to-come-down-and-the-next-thing-i/) [Kamisese Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamisese-mara/) > [“Dashed if I don't think he's begun to get queer in his attic! Well, what I mean is, hubble-bubble! I don't set up as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgette-heyer/dashed-if-i-don-t-think-he-s-begun-to-get-queer-in-his-attic-well/) [Georgette Heyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgette-heyer/) > [I sense that the road to Heaven is paved with dashed hopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/i-sense-that-the-road-to-heaven-is-paved-with-dashed-hopes/) [Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/) > [The lifelong health problems of John F. Kennedy constitute one of the best-kept secrets of recent U.S. history - no surprise, because if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/the-lifelong-health-problems-of-john-f-kennedy-constitute-one-of-the/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [“Colonel Hugh Pickering - Well, I'm dashed!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/colonel-hugh-pickering-well-i-m-dashed/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Professor Henry Higgins: Oh, Pickering, for God's sake stop being dashed and do something! ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/professor-henry-higgins-oh-pickering-for-god-s-sake-stop-being-dashed/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Browse all 11 Dashed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dashed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“These are the times that try men's souls. 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