--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I long ago realized it was not a figure…" description: "\"I long ago realized it was not a figure of speech when people come up to me and say they grew up watching me since they were 'that big.'\" — Roy Clark" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/roy-clark-21319_big_i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure_1138747.jpg" --- # I long ago realized it was not a figure of speech when… ![“I long ago realized it was not a figure of speech when people come up to me and say they grew up watching me since they were 'that big.'” quote by Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/roy-clark-21319_big_i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure_1138747.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/roy-clark-21319_big_i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure_1138747.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/roy-clark-21319_big_i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure_1138747.jpg) > “I long ago realized it was not a figure of speech when people come up to me and say they grew up watching me since they were 'that big.'” [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker realized that being a cultural reference point is literal, not metaphorical, indicating lasting influence. **In simple terms:** He became a real cultural icon. Key Takeaway Embrace your impact. Themes identity legacy influence Mood thoughtful proud Type observational insightful When to use this quote - marketing - personal branding - public speaking - media analysis Key Concepts cultural studies celebrity social perception Questions to Reflect On - Do you recognize your own influence? - How does being a reference shape you? A Different Perspective Impact may be overstated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew/) [Grew Watching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew-watching-697681/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Say Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-grew-1790657/) [Watching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watching/) [Watching Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watching-big-1849940/) ## Related quotes > [I would say I grew without a doubt. My whole energy in life - as an artist and as a person - has definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-durk/i-would-say-i-grew-without-a-doubt-my-whole-energy-in-life-as-an/) [Lil Durk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-durk/) > [I made a conscious decision to stop watching 'Big Brother.' I was an avid fan, but I felt it was time to move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/i-made-a-conscious-decision-to-stop-watching-big-brother-i-was-an/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [It's about story; it is a social experiment, and people take that into account when they're watching 'Big Brother.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-tassler/it-s-about-story-it-is-a-social-experiment-and-people-take-that-into/) [Nina Tassler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-tassler/) > [I have never laughed as much as I did when watching 'Big Brother.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davina-mccall/i-have-never-laughed-as-much-as-i-did-when-watching-big-brother/) [Davina McCall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davina-mccall/) > [I grew up watching LeBron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-trubisky/i-grew-up-watching-lebron/) [Mitchell Trubisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-trubisky/) > [We just grew up watching the game, and we all really wanted to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domantas-sabonis/we-just-grew-up-watching-the-game-and-we-all-really-wanted-to-play/) [Domantas Sabonis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domantas-sabonis/) > [I never really grew up watching TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-gronkowski/i-never-really-grew-up-watching-tv/) [Rob Gronkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-gronkowski/) > [I grew up watching Bull Nakano, and she was amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paige/i-grew-up-watching-bull-nakano-and-she-was-amazing/) [Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paige/) > [I grew up watching 'The Tonight Show' and Jimmy Fallon on 'SNL.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/borns/i-grew-up-watching-the-tonight-show-and-jimmy-fallon-on-snl/) [Borns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/borns/) > [I grew up watching his movies; I know everyone did, but I really feel that a lot of my formative years were informed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/i-grew-up-watching-his-movies-i-know-everyone-did-but-i-really-feel/) [Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/) > [Look, no one grew up watching NFL football with me. I'm well aware of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-ponder/look-no-one-grew-up-watching-nfl-football-with-me-i-m-well-aware-of/) [Samantha Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-ponder/) > [I grew up watching shows like 'Martin' and 'Fresh Prince' and 'Moesha,' and I was inspired by all these shows. When I was growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-fowler/i-grew-up-watching-shows-like-martin-and-fresh-prince-and-moesha-and/) [Jermaine Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-fowler/) > [I wanted to have my kid watch me fight. I think that's because I grew up watching my dad compete and I'm so inspired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-dern/i-wanted-to-have-my-kid-watch-me-fight-i-think-that-s-because-i-grew/) [Mackenzie Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-dern/) > [One of the best moments I've ever had in New Orleans is seeing Bourbon Street filled on a weekend night not long ago. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-nagin/one-of-the-best-moments-i-ve-ever-had-in-new-orleans-is-seeing/) [Ray Nagin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-nagin/) > [I grew up watching 'I Love Lucy.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-ganz/i-grew-up-watching-i-love-lucy/) [Megan Ganz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-ganz/) ## More by Roy Clark > [Absolutely the worst thing about this job is the travel and being away from family. I have a wife and three wonderful children, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/absolutely-the-worst-thing-about-this-job-is-the-travel-and-being/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [I keep a band of great young people around me, and we're not musically restrained. It's not about 'Let's do it correct' but 'Let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/i-keep-a-band-of-great-young-people-around-me-and-we-re-not-musically/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > ['Hee Haw' was a concept that nobody (including myself) thought would ever succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/hee-haw-was-a-concept-that-nobody-including-myself-thought-would-ever/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [I've told everyone that I grew old on 'Hee Haw,' but I could've grown old without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/i-ve-told-everyone-that-i-grew-old-on-hee-haw-but-i-could-ve-grown/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [A TV camera goes right through your soul. If you're a bad person, people pick that up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/a-tv-camera-goes-right-through-your-soul-if-you-re-a-bad-person/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [We didn't burn out. We were fresh. So when you go through the 13 shows, that was it until the next time. That way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/we-didn-t-burn-out-we-were-fresh-so-when-you-go-through-the-13-shows/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [When I hear or see his name, I see the Glen I've always known. There will never, ever be another Glen Campbell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/when-i-hear-or-see-his-name-i-see-the-glen-i-ve-always-known-there/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [The show changed my life in so many remarkable ways. Now in my 82nd year, I have been blessed with a wonderful 67-year career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/the-show-changed-my-life-in-so-many-remarkable-ways-now-in-my-82nd/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [I'm a firm believer in smiles. I used to believe that everything had to be a belly laugh. But I've come to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/i-m-a-firm-believer-in-smiles-i-used-to-believe-that-everything-had/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [So I'm going to tell you, it's going to be a good year. There are good players all over this country, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/so-i-m-going-to-tell-you-it-s-going-to-be-a-good-year-there-are-good/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [We weren't selling anything. We were just having a good time. And that feeling - there are people who say, 'I wish my kids,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/we-weren-t-selling-anything-we-were-just-having-a-good-time-and-that/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [I've always wanted to be the first one to laugh at me. I didn't want to get up on stage and start doing something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-the-first-one-to-laugh-at-me-i-didn-t-want/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [A lot of the big stars of today got their beginnings and their first network and national exposure from 'Hee Haw.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/a-lot-of-the-big-stars-of-today-got-their-beginnings-and-their-first/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [Music was my salvation, the thing I loved most and did best. Whatever was fun, I'd go do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/music-was-my-salvation-the-thing-i-loved-most-and-did-best-whatever/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) > [Humor is a blessing to me. My earliest recollections are of looking at something and seeing the lighter side. But it's always spontaneous. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/humor-is-a-blessing-to-me-my-earliest-recollections-are-of-looking-at/) [Roy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) [Explore all 29 Roy Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/) ## More Big quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [I think a big part of success in football is mental, not physical. How you are inside your head matters more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iker-casillas/i-think-a-big-part-of-success-in-football-is-mental-not-physical-how/) [Iker Casillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iker-casillas/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ellis/what-i-know-about-ali-krieger-is-no-moment-is-ever-going-to-be-too/) [Jill Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ellis/) [Browse all 12,477 Big quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I long ago realized it was not a figure of speech when people come up to me and say they grew up watching me since they were 'that big.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roy Clark" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure-of-speech-when-people-come-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure-of-speech-when-people-come-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/roy-clark-21319_big_i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure_1138747.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/roy-clark-21319_big_i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure_1138747.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/030/roy-clark-21319_big_i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure_1138747.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I long ago realized it was not a figure of speech when people come up to me and say they grew up watching me…” — Roy Clark", "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": "Roy Clark", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-clark/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I long ago realized it was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure-of-speech-when-people-come-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-clark/i-long-ago-realized-it-was-not-a-figure-of-speech-when-people-come-up/#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 } } ] } ```