--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had a Boy Scout I could make a fire…" description: "\"If I had a Boy Scout I could make a fire by rubbing his hind legs together.\" — Robert A. Heinlein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/robert-a-heinlein-209_boy-scout_if-i-had-a-boy-scout-i-could-make-a-fire_1741274.jpg" --- # If I had a Boy Scout I could make a fire by rubbing his… ![“If I had a Boy Scout I could make a fire by rubbing his hind legs together.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/robert-a-heinlein-209_boy-scout_if-i-had-a-boy-scout-i-could-make-a-fire_1741274.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/robert-a-heinlein-209_boy-scout_if-i-had-a-boy-scout-i-could-make-a-fire_1741274.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/robert-a-heinlein-209_boy-scout_if-i-had-a-boy-scout-i-could-make-a-fire_1741274.jpg) > “If I had a Boy Scout I could make a fire by rubbing his hind legs together.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor can arise from absurd, impossible scenarios. **In simple terms:** Jokes often use impossible ideas for laughs. Key Takeaway Embrace absurdity in humor. Themes humor absurdity creativity Mood playful lighthearted Type comedic satirical When to use this quote - comedy writing - improv - social commentary Key Concepts Satire hyperbole impossible actions Questions to Reflect On - What absurd image makes you laugh? - When does absurd humor become offensive? A Different Perspective Humor may alienate if context is unclear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boy scout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boy-scout/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) ## Related quotes > [In sixth grade, my status as a Boy Scout was not something I went out of my way to share. In fact, I spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/in-sixth-grade-my-status-as-a-boy-scout-was-not-something-i-went-out/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [“Mr. Boy Scout was not for her. He was exactly the type of man her family would expect her to settle down with. Freaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-reus/mr-boy-scout-was-not-for-her-he-was-exactly-the-type-of-man-her/) [Katie Reus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-reus/) > [About guns, about hunting, it's safe to say I know nothing. The last gun I fired was a musket at Boy Scout camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosecrans-baldwin/about-guns-about-hunting-it-s-safe-to-say-i-know-nothing-the-last-gun/) [Rosecrans Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosecrans-baldwin/) > [Among my friends, I'm not a little Boy Scout, and they love my humor, thank God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/among-my-friends-i-m-not-a-little-boy-scout-and-they-love-my-humor/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I was never a Boy Scout, but oh, I wanted to be one when I was a kid about ten or eleven years old.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-barks/i-was-never-a-boy-scout-but-oh-i-wanted-to-be-one-when-i-was-a-kid/) [Carl Barks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-barks/) > [Unfortunately, I'm not a person that's always capable of living up to the Boy Scout philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/unfortunately-i-m-not-a-person-that-s-always-capable-of-living-up-to/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [The most important object in Boy Scout training is to educate, not instruct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baden-powell-de-aquino/the-most-important-object-in-boy-scout-training-is-to-educate-not/) [Baden Powell de Aquino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baden-powell-de-aquino/) > [I always wanted to be a boy scout but was too poor. Couldn't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giancarlo-esposito/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-boy-scout-but-was-too-poor-couldn-t-do-it/) [Giancarlo Esposito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giancarlo-esposito/) > [An optimist is somebody who thinks our various political and social systems, schools and churches, support groups and Boy Scout troops, jury trials and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/an-optimist-is-somebody-who-thinks-our-various-political-and-social/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [Giving jazz the Congressional seal of approval is a little like making Huck Finn an honorary Boy Scout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-maddocks/giving-jazz-the-congressional-seal-of-approval-is-a-little-like/) [Melvin Maddocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-maddocks/) > [My father also encouraged my love of nature. He urged me to become a Cub Scout, and later a Boy Scout, and I found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/my-father-also-encouraged-my-love-of-nature-he-urged-me-to-become-a/) [Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/) > [I was in the Boy Scouts for about four years until my troop disbanded. It is really one of the best activities youths can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-stevens/i-was-in-the-boy-scouts-for-about-four-years-until-my-troop-disbanded/) Ted Stevens > [“Maybe I’m not the Boy Scout you think I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-reus/maybe-i-m-not-the-boy-scout-you-think-i-am/) [Katie Reus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-reus/) > [Being a Boy Scout saved my life. I was a bookish, introverted kid, shy and withdrawn, unhappy and easily bullied. I was also gay,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bram/being-a-boy-scout-saved-my-life-i-was-a-bookish-introverted-kid-shy/) [Christopher Bram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bram/) > [I am an Eagle Scout. I am very proud of that. When I was in college I worked summers in a Boy Scout summer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-r-wheeler/i-am-an-eagle-scout-i-am-very-proud-of-that-when-i-was-in-college-i/) [Andrew R. Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-r-wheeler/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Boy scout quotes > [“What have you been doing to yourself, Belinda? Girl, you’ve got more knots in your shoulders than are listed in the Boy Scout handbook.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-johnson/what-have-you-been-doing-to-yourself-belinda-girl-you-ve-got-more/) [Cat Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-johnson/) > [“He shifts so that I can see him better, then draws an "x" over his heart. I raise a brow, and he lifts two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenner/he-shifts-so-that-i-can-see-him-better-then-draws-an-x-over-his-heart/) [J. Kenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenner/) > [Everybody owned stock in the Capone mob; in a way, he was a public benefactor. I remember one time when he arrived at his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/everybody-owned-stock-in-the-capone-mob-in-a-way-he-was-a-public/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [“ Today You Soar "Like the grand eagle, you spread your wings And put forth the effort to do great things. Looking skyward you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/today-you-soar-like-the-grand-eagle-you-spread-your-wings-and-put/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [I never had any interest in being involved with the Boy Scouts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-never-had-any-interest-in-being-involved-with-the-boy-scouts/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I drove my Mum crazy, because I wouldn't go out and play football or join the Boy Scouts, I'd just sit at home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-moore/i-drove-my-mum-crazy-because-i-wouldn-t-go-out-and-play-football-or/) [Gary Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-moore/) > [“Why the fuck did I know what any of these terms meant, you might wonder? Because my soulless arse did Armani and Balmain campaigns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/why-the-fuck-did-i-know-what-any-of-these-terms-meant-you-might/) [L.J. Shen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-shen/) > [A fisherman does not bait his hook with food he likes. He uses food the fish likes. So with boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baden-powell-de-aquino/a-fisherman-does-not-bait-his-hook-with-food-he-likes-he-uses-food/) [Baden Powell de Aquino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baden-powell-de-aquino/) > [In the past, children learned their values at home, reinforced by organizations such as the Boy Scouts and, of course, their church or synagogue,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weyrich/in-the-past-children-learned-their-values-at-home-reinforced-by/) [Paul Weyrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weyrich/) > [Films like 'True Romance' and 'The Last Boy Scout' stuck with me since I saw them when I was young, on every different format.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-evans/films-like-true-romance-and-the-last-boy-scout-stuck-with-me-since-i/) [Gareth Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-evans/) > [I had lots of fun; I was in the boy scouts, I went camping. I just used to mess around like a normal kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-manuwa/i-had-lots-of-fun-i-was-in-the-boy-scouts-i-went-camping-i-just-used/) [Jimi Manuwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-manuwa/) > [Any man who has ever led an army, an expedition, or a group of Boy Scouts has sadism in his bones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/any-man-who-has-ever-led-an-army-an-expedition-or-a-group-of-boy/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) > [In sixth grade, my status as a Boy Scout was not something I went out of my way to share. In fact, I spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/in-sixth-grade-my-status-as-a-boy-scout-was-not-something-i-went-out/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [“All kidding aside, this is a new beginning for Kate and me. A fresh start. I’ll be a perfect gentleman. Scout’s honor. Then again,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/all-kidding-aside-this-is-a-new-beginning-for-kate-and-me-a-fresh/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) > [This ain't the Girl Scouts. This ain't the Boy Scouts. This is the NBA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-garnett/this-ain-t-the-girl-scouts-this-ain-t-the-boy-scouts-this-is-the-nba/) [Kevin Garnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-garnett/) [Browse all 151 Boy scout quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boy-scout/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I had a Boy Scout I could make a fire by rubbing his hind legs together.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. 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