--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hold the newsreader's nose squarely…" description: "\"Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers\" — Stephen Fry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/stephen-fry-573_friendly_hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-wait_212738.png" --- # Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly… ![“Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers” quote by Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/stephen-fry-573_friendly_hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-wait_212738.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/stephen-fry-573_friendly_hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-wait_212738.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/stephen-fry-573_friendly_hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-wait_212738.png) > “Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers” [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Uses absurd humor to suggest confronting authority (newsreader) can lead to unexpected, pleasant outcomes. **In simple terms:** Confront authority for surprising benefits. Key Takeaway Challenge norms humorously. Themes humor authority absurdity Mood playful witty Type satire humorous When to use this quote - daily interactions - service industry - social experiments Key Concepts social dynamics unexpected outcomes Questions to Reflect On - What absurd action could change your day? - When does humor defuse tension? A Different Perspective May be misinterpreted as literal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Waiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiter/) ## Related quotes > [Waiters will always pee in soup, people will always fall in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/waiters-will-always-pee-in-soup-people-will-always-fall-in-love/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [The switch had two settings. You could either turn it to AUTO, in which case the awning lowered itself whenever the sun came out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-switch-had-two-settings-you-could-either-turn-it-to-auto-in-which/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Insanity hovered close at hand, like an eager waiter at an expensive restaurant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/insanity-hovered-close-at-hand-like-an-eager-waiter-at-an-expensive/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Rhoda comes now, having slipped in while we were not looking. She must have made a tortuous course, taking cover now behind a waiter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/rhoda-comes-now-having-slipped-in-while-we-were-not-looking-she-must/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [For the world is broken, sundered, busted down the middle, self ripped from self and man pasted back together as mythical monster, half angel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/for-the-world-is-broken-sundered-busted-down-the-middle-self-ripped/) [Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/) > [A critic at best is a waiter at the great table of literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-dudek/a-critic-at-best-is-a-waiter-at-the-great-table-of-literature/) [Louis Dudek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-dudek/) > [Famous people are deceptive. Deep down, they're just regular people. Like Larry King. We've been friends for forty years. He's one of the few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/famous-people-are-deceptive-deep-down-they-re-just-regular-people/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I feel very uncomfortable when I eat in restaurants. I'm obnoxiously polite with the waiters: 'I just want a tuna sandwich. I'll go get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-gould/i-feel-very-uncomfortable-when-i-eat-in-restaurants-i-m-obnoxiously/) [Dana Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-gould/) > [A man needs to be polite, not just to me but to everyone. I watch that. How does he treat the waiter? How does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-lima/a-man-needs-to-be-polite-not-just-to-me-but-to-everyone-i-watch-that/) [Adriana Lima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-lima/) > [The waiter brought fresh-baked bread and cheese, a bottle of sparkling water for Annabeth, and a Coke with ice for me (because I’m a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-waiter-brought-fresh-baked-bread-and-cheese-a-bottle-of-sparkling/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I was afraid to board a streetcar because of the conductor; I was afraid to enter the Kabuki Theater for fear of the usherettes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osamu-dazai/i-was-afraid-to-board-a-streetcar-because-of-the-conductor-i-was/) [Osamu Dazai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osamu-dazai/) > [I was in the Far East and I went into a restaurant and I ordered octopus and the waiter said: "It takes four hours."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-was-in-the-far-east-and-i-went-into-a-restaurant-and-i-ordered/) [Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/) > [People who are rude to waiters... I don't like that sort of thing. People who take cuts in line... it doesn't fly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/people-who-are-rude-to-waiters-i-don-t-like-that-sort-of-thing-people/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [“Quitters don’t gain what they have started working on; waiters don’t start what they could have gained. What is common there is failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/quitters-don-t-gain-what-they-have-started-working-on-waiters-don-t/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I'm thinking waiters and waitresses are going to be bracing for more customers coming in going, not just kind of where is that beef…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moss/i-m-thinking-waiters-and-waitresses-are-going-to-be-bracing-for-more/) [Michael Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moss/) ## More by Stephen Fry > [“...Catholic versus Protestant, essentially. It's that kind of fight. ... And it goes on to this day. Will we never learn? Who knows? Religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/catholic-versus-protestant-essentially-it-s-that-kind-of-fight-and-it/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [How dare you? How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It's not right, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/how-dare-you-how-dare-you-create-a-world-in-which-there-is-such/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“Look at the kind of people who most object to the childishness and cheapness of celebrity culture. Does one really want to side with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/look-at-the-kind-of-people-who-most-object-to-the-childishness-and/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“The object of love should feel honoured or flattered, responsible in some way. Instead he felt insulted, degraded and revolted. More than that, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-object-of-love-should-feel-honoured-or-flattered-responsible-in/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The only people who are obsessed with food are anorexics and the morbidly obese. That, in erotic terms, is the Catholic church, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-only-people-who-are-obsessed-with-food-are-anorexics-and-the/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [To me, reason is as spiritual as anything else, the beauty of reason seems to me indelible and ineffable and numinous... the spirit is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/to-me-reason-is-as-spiritual-as-anything-else-the-beauty-of-reason/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The stranger might laugh and seem to enjoy the writing, but you hug to yourself the thought that they didn't quite understand its force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-stranger-might-laugh-and-seem-to-enjoy-the-writing-but-you-hug-to/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“The future is a much bigger deal than the past,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-future-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-the-past/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I gather a repulsive nobody writing in a paper no one of any decency would be seen dead with has written something loathesome and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-gather-a-repulsive-nobody-writing-in-a-paper-no-one-of-any-decency/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I've never had any illusions about being a lead actor in films, because lead actors have to be of a certain kind. Apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-ve-never-had-any-illusions-about-being-a-lead-actor-in-films/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Because, let's face it, I do not get offered the parts that Brad Pitt has just turned down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-let-s-face-it-i-do-not-get-offered-the-parts-that-brad-pitt/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I will defend the absolute value of Mozart over Miley Cyrus, of course I will, but we should be wary of false dichotomies. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-will-defend-the-absolute-value-of-mozart-over-miley-cyrus-of-course/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [You can't just say there is a god because the world is beautiful. You have to account for bone cancer in children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-can-t-just-say-there-is-a-god-because-the-world-is-beautiful-you/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [If you know someone who's depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn't a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/if-you-know-someone-who-s-depressed-please-resolve-never-to-ask-them/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [It's as if scientists exert every effort of will they possess deliberately to find the least significant problems in the world and explain them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-s-as-if-scientists-exert-every-effort-of-will-they-possess/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) [Explore all 466 Stephen Fry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## More Friendly quotes > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [We have reiterated on many occasions that China wishes to establish and develop long-term, good-neighbourly and friendly relations with all countries in south Asia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/we-have-reiterated-on-many-occasions-that-china-wishes-to-establish/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [A girl who would fall in love so easily or want a man to love her so easily would probably get over it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-girl-who-would-fall-in-love-so-easily-or-want-a-man-to-love-her-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think Diana was a very friendly person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/i-think-diana-was-a-very-friendly-person/) [Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/) > [I'm very friendly and nice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-beecham/i-m-very-friendly-and-nice/) [Emily Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-beecham/) > [Hey Sydney," she said, giving me a small, crooked smile as she entered the room. Her flashing, dark eyes were friendly, but they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/hey-sydney-she-said-giving-me-a-small-crooked-smile-as-she-entered/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Dave Wann's recipes from his own experience in Simple Prosperity are a breath of fresh air, and just what we need for a saner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazel-henderson/dave-wann-s-recipes-from-his-own-experience-in-simple-prosperity-are/) [Hazel Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazel-henderson/) > [I did a ski festival in Austria once. I was struck by how friendly Austrians were, before gradually realising it's more that Glaswegians are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/i-did-a-ski-festival-in-austria-once-i-was-struck-by-how-friendly/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [Be friendly it makes life more interesting by respecting the color of each person you'll going to encounter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/be-friendly-it-makes-life-more-interesting-by-respecting-the-color-of/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [When you stroll through Munich it can happen that you suddenly stand in front of an old house, an idyllically-dreaming church that smiles like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/when-you-stroll-through-munich-it-can-happen-that-you-suddenly-stand/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Once I got a guitar that was relatively user-friendly, but not super-duper easy, I really came on as a guitarist, at that point. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/once-i-got-a-guitar-that-was-relatively-user-friendly-but-not-super/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) Browse all 1,330 Friendly quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Fry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-waiter-or-friendly-milk-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Friendly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-waiter-or-friendly-milk-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/stephen-fry-573_friendly_hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-wait_212738.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/stephen-fry-573_friendly_hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-wait_212738.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50a/stephen-fry-573_friendly_hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-wait_212738.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers” — Stephen Fry", "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": "Stephen Fry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-waiter-or-friendly-milk-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/hold-the-newsreader-s-nose-squarely-waiter-or-friendly-milk-will/#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 } } ] } ```