--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar…" description: "\"Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar is open, it's not a door?\" — Steven Wright" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/steven-wright-432_door_why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar_2876181.jpg" --- # Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar… ![“Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar is open, it's not a door?” quote by Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/steven-wright-432_door_why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar_2876181.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/steven-wright-432_door_why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar_2876181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/steven-wright-432_door_why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar_2876181.jpg) > “Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar is open, it's not a door?” [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The humor arises from swapping the usual meanings of words, highlighting absurdities in language conventions. **In simple terms:** Wordplay shows how meanings can be flipped. Key Takeaway Notice how language can be playful. Themes humor language absurdity Mood playful lighthearted Type anecdotal humorous When to use this quote - everyday conversation - teaching language - writing jokes Key Concepts semantic inversion linguistic humor Questions to Reflect On - How does swapping meanings change perception? - What other word pairs could be reversed for effect? A Different Perspective The joke relies on audience knowledge of word meanings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Open Door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-door/) ## Related quotes > [When one door closes another doesn't just open, you can either open the same door or open a different one...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-one-door-closes-another-doesn-t-just-open-you-can-either-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’ll need a house key,” she said as she followed him into the house. “Why?” The question so stupefied her that she stopped in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/i-ll-need-a-house-key-she-said-as-she-followed-him-into-the-house-why/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [“A brick could be used to prop open the door to my heart. But you might not want to leave the Love Door open,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-brick-could-be-used-to-prop-open-the-door-to-my-heart-but-you-might/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“You can leave a door open for your 'friends,' but the truth is anybody can come in through that open door. And how do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-alender/you-can-leave-a-door-open-for-your-friends-but-the-truth-is-anybody/) [Katie Alender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-alender/) > [I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/i-m-like-ok-god-if-there-is-an-open-door-for-me-somewhere-this-is/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [Which opens the parting door open his door 20](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israa-ali/which-opens-the-parting-door-open-his-door-20/) [ISRAA ALI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israa-ali/) > [Becoming baseball analyst was really important for me to not just be one of the first, but to literally break open the door and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mendoza/becoming-baseball-analyst-was-really-important-for-me-to-not-just-be/) [Jessica Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mendoza/) > [My mother raised me to open the car door, open the door; if you take a woman out, you should pick up the check,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corabi/my-mother-raised-me-to-open-the-car-door-open-the-door-if-you-take-a/) [John Corabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corabi/) > [Any true wizard, faced with a sign like 'Do not open this door. Really. We mean it. We're not kidding. Opening this door will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/any-true-wizard-faced-with-a-sign-like-do-not-open-this-door-really/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“I was hoping you’d leave the back door open for me, I said as he turned around to bend over and pick up his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-was-hoping-you-d-leave-the-back-door-open-for-me-i-said-as-he/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I DON'T CHASE AFTER ANYONE IF YOU WANNA WALK OUT MY LIFE THEN I'LL HOLD THE FUCKING DOOR OPEN FOR YOU..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-chase-after-anyone-if-you-wanna-walk-out-my-life-then-i-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I noticed that she left her office door open, too.So she could keep an eye on me, no doubt, in case I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/i-noticed-that-she-left-her-office-door-open-too-so-she-could-keep-an/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [U want 2 COME IN my lyf,the door is open.You want 2 GET OUT of my lyf,the door is open. Just 1 request though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ms-paradeez/u-want-2-come-in-my-lyf-the-door-is-open-you-want-2-get-out-of-my-lyf/) Ms Paradeez > [“So you’re going to ask Ress and Brullo to just leave a back door open so you can sneak in?” “Don’t be so simpleminded.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/so-you-re-going-to-ask-ress-and-brullo-to-just-leave-a-back-door-open/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [I do not chase after anyone if you wanna walk out my life then I will hold the fu\*\*\*\*g door open for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/i-do-not-chase-after-anyone-if-you-wanna-walk-out-my-life-then-i-will/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) ## More by Steven Wright > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [My dental hygienist is cute. Every time I visit, I eat a whole package of Oreo cookies while waiting in the lobby. Sometimes she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/my-dental-hygienist-is-cute-every-time-i-visit-i-eat-a-whole-package/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/if-lawyers-are-disbarred-and-clergymen-defrocked-doesn-t-it-follow/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [If I ever had twins, I'd use one for parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/if-i-ever-had-twins-i-d-use-one-for-parts/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Nobody can really compare a relationship in which the victim is 15 years old to one where she's 6. While both criminal, they're very different circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/nobody-can-really-compare-a-relationship-in-which-the-victim-is-15/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I saw a tree fall in the woods, and I didn't hear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-saw-a-tree-fall-in-the-woods-and-i-didn-t-hear-it/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [It's very intense to be in front of a live audience. It's just an amazing experience. It's dangerous. Everything out there is heightened. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/it-s-very-intense-to-be-in-front-of-a-live-audience-it-s-just-an/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I got pulled over by a cop, and he said, 'do you know the speed limit here is 55 miles per hour?'. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-got-pulled-over-by-a-cop-and-he-said-do-you-know-the-speed-limit/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Babies don't need a vacation, but I still see them at the beach... it pisses me off! I'll go over to a little baby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/babies-don-t-need-a-vacation-but-i-still-see-them-at-the-beach-it/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“I just got out of the hospital. I was in a speed reading accident. I hit a book mark and flew across the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-just-got-out-of-the-hospital-i-was-in-a-speed-reading-accident-i/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [When I'm on stage, it's really intense. My mind is going a million miles an hour, trying to remember my act, trying to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/when-i-m-on-stage-it-s-really-intense-my-mind-is-going-a-million/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I don't like politicians, and I don't like politics. I definitely don't want to be associated with any of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-don-t-like-politicians-and-i-don-t-like-politics-i-definitely-don-t/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I went to this restaurant last night that was set up like a big buffet in the shape of an Ouija board. You'd think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-went-to-this-restaurant-last-night-that-was-set-up-like-a-big/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/why-isn-t-the-number-11-pronounced-onety-one/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/a-conscience-is-what-hurts-when-all-your-other-parts-feel-so-good/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) [Explore all 564 Steven Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) ## More Door quotes > [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [When one door closes another doesn't just open, you can either open the same door or open a different one...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-one-door-closes-another-doesn-t-just-open-you-can-either-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [We can't love a place or a person if we always have one foot out the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-can-t-love-a-place-or-a-person-if-we-always-have-one-foot-out-the/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [Kindness unlocks doors that were thought to be closed forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/kindness-unlocks-doors-that-were-thought-to-be-closed-forever/) Unkown > [Dear parents,knocking while open the door to my bedroom kind of defeats the purpose of knocking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-parents-knocking-while-open-the-door-to-my-bedroom-kind-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [I won't be managing the Mets. I am closing the door on managing the Mets and probably everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-won-t-be-managing-the-mets-i-am-closing-the-door-on-managing-the/) [Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/) > [If opportunity doesnt knock, build a door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-opportunity-doesnt-knock-build-a-door/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Couples Therapy' is pretty big for me because it's opening the door to a new audience - a hip-hop following, which I feel is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-carrera/couples-therapy-is-pretty-big-for-me-because-it-s-opening-the-door-to/) [Carmen Carrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-carrera/) > [“Happiness isn't something that you plan for. It comes knocking unexpectedly, just like opportunity. And it's up to you to answer the door and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-doughton/happiness-isn-t-something-that-you-plan-for-it-comes-knocking/) [Autumn Doughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-doughton/) > [Nothing attracts me like a closed door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-bourke-white/nothing-attracts-me-like-a-closed-door/) [Margaret Bourke-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-bourke-white/) > [They never opened the door which leads to the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/they-never-opened-the-door-which-leads-to-the-soul/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“Hayley Haslett raised her hand and tapped on the door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rose/hayley-haslett-raised-her-hand-and-tapped-on-the-door/) [Carol Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rose/) > [I think you've still got to try to be good, day-to-day. You see a granny, you hold the door open for her. You just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-zayn/i-think-you-ve-still-got-to-try-to-be-good-day-to-day-you-see-a/) [Sami Zayn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-zayn/) Browse all 3,104 Door quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar is open, it's not a door?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Wright" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar-but-when-a-jar-is-open-it-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Door" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar-but-when-a-jar-is-open-it-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/steven-wright-432_door_why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar_2876181.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/steven-wright-432_door_why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar_2876181.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/steven-wright-432_door_why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar_2876181.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar is open, it's not a door?” — Steven Wright", "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": "Steven Wright", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why is it, when a door...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar-but-when-a-jar-is-open-it-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/why-is-it-when-a-door-is-open-it-s-ajar-but-when-a-jar-is-open-it-s/#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 } } ] } ```