--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One morning Profane woke up early…" description: "\"“One morning Profane woke up early, couldn't get back to sleep and decided on a whim to spend the day like a yo-yo, shuttling on the subway back and fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e57/thomas-pynchon-533_cuss-words_one-morning-profane-woke-up-early-couldn_215823.jpg" --- # One morning Profane woke up early, couldn't get back to… ![“One morning Profane woke up early, couldn't get back to sleep and decided on a whim to spend the day like a yo-yo, shuttling on the subway back and forth underneath 42nd Street, from Times Square to Grand Central and vice versa. He made his way to the washroom of Our Home, tripping over two empty…” quote by Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e57/thomas-pynchon-533_cuss-words_one-morning-profane-woke-up-early-couldn_215823.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e57/thomas-pynchon-533_cuss-words_one-morning-profane-woke-up-early-couldn_215823.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e57/thomas-pynchon-533_cuss-words_one-morning-profane-woke-up-early-couldn_215823.jpg) > ““One morning Profane woke up early, couldn't get back to sleep and decided on a whim to spend the day like a yo-yo, shuttling on the subway back and forth underneath 42nd Street, from Times Square to Grand Central and vice versa. He made his way to the washroom of Our Home, tripping over two empty mattresses on route. Cut himself shaving, had trouble extracting the blade and gashed a finger. He took a shower to get rid of the blood. The handles wouldn't turn. When he finally found a shower that worked, the water came out hot and cold in random patterns. He danced around, yowling and shivering, slipped on a bar of soap and nearly broke his neck. Drying off, he ripped a frayed towel in half, rendering it useless. He put on his skivvy shirt backwards, took ten minutes getting his fly zipped and another fifteen repairing a shoelace which had broken as he was tying it. All the rests of his morning songs were silent cuss words. It wasn't that he was tired or even notably uncoordinated. Only something that, being a schlemihl, he'd known for years: inanimate objects and he could not live in peace.”” [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A chaotic morning of mishaps illustrates how everyday objects can become sources of frustration and absurdity. **In simple terms:** Small failures create a surreal day. Key Takeaway Accept life's absurdities. Themes absurdity modern life frustration Mood darkly humorous reflective Type literature satire When to use this quote - commuting - personal grooming - home routines - unexpected obstacles Key Concepts chaos theory human error urban alienation Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond to minor daily setbacks? - What does this chaos say about control? A Different Perspective Finding meaning in randomness can be elusive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cuss words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuss-words/) [Live In Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-in-peace/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Times square](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-square/) ## Related quotes > [The drink? 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I spent a month in the hospital and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/stan-hansen-was-a-different-ballgame-i-broke-my-neck-wrestling-him-in/) [Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/) > [“L’Uomo screamed in frustration. He wasn’t a man prone to losing control, but this obvious alteration of his Machiavellian plans was the last straw.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-ellison/l-uomo-screamed-in-frustration-he-wasn-t-a-man-prone-to-losing/) [J.T. Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-ellison/) > [In my day, I, myself, in my prime, in the late-'50s-mid-'70s I was about 270-275. After I broke my neck and I was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/in-my-day-i-myself-in-my-prime-in-the-late-50s-mid-70s-i-was-about/) [Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/) > [I broke my neck, it's a classic neck break from chin to chest. If I had been alone, I would probably be dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-burns/i-broke-my-neck-it-s-a-classic-neck-break-from-chin-to-chest-if-i-had/) [Brooke Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-burns/) > [“I just tripped over a pair of shoes and almost fell down and broke my neck and no I wasn't wearing them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/i-just-tripped-over-a-pair-of-shoes-and-almost-fell-down-and-broke-my/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [When I broke my neck, I was told that I came within a millimeter of dying or being paralyzed from the neck down. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/when-i-broke-my-neck-i-was-told-that-i-came-within-a-millimeter-of/) [Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/) > [The bike went up in the air and landed on my back. It broke my neck, smashed my collarbone and splinters of bone severed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/the-bike-went-up-in-the-air-and-landed-on-my-back-it-broke-my-neck/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [Since we no longer have to bleep cuss words, I promise I will get my mom to say, fuck by the end of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bam-margera/since-we-no-longer-have-to-bleep-cuss-words-i-promise-i-will-get-my/) [Bam Margera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bam-margera/) > [Why does it raise eyebrows when a woman uses cuss words?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallika-sherawat/why-does-it-raise-eyebrows-when-a-woman-uses-cuss-words/) [Mallika Sherawat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallika-sherawat/) > [Its about to go down.. My mom told me to tell you! To mind your damn motherfucking business bitch, you lil' stupid bitch ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/its-about-to-go-down-my-mom-told-me-to-tell-you-to-mind-your-damn/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [“But I'm pretty sure Mom won't consent to a field trip across the country with my hot boyfriend. Especially not back to Florida." I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/but-i-m-pretty-sure-mom-won-t-consent-to-a-field-trip-across-the/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [I like LA. LA is cool, but it aint like home. Atlanta is home. All my friends are here, I grew up here. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-tucker/i-like-la-la-is-cool-but-it-aint-like-home-atlanta-is-home-all-my/) [Chris Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-tucker/) ## More by Thomas Pynchon > [“How strange tonight, this city. As if something trembled below its surface, waiting to burst through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/how-strange-tonight-this-city-as-if-something-trembled-below-its/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“It was one of those great iron afternoons in London: the yellow sun being teased apart by a thoasand chimneys breathing, fawning upward without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/it-was-one-of-those-great-iron-afternoons-in-london-the-yellow-sun/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Surely for as long as there have been nights as bad as this one---something to raise the possibility of another night that could actually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/surely-for-as-long-as-there-have-been-nights-as-bad-as-this-one/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Death glided by, shadowless, among the empties on the grass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/death-glided-by-shadowless-among-the-empties-on-the-grass/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“People read what news they wanted to and each accordingly built his own rathouse of history's rags and straws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/people-read-what-news-they-wanted-to-and-each-accordingly-built-his/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Out of that night and day of unconditional wrath, folks would've expected to see any city, if it survived, all newly reborn, purified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/out-of-that-night-and-day-of-unconditional-wrath-folks-would-ve/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“As spread thighs are to the libertine...so was the letter V to young Stencil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/as-spread-thighs-are-to-the-libertine-so-was-the-letter-v-to-young/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Oedipa wondered whether, at the end of this (if it were supposed to end), she too might not be left with only compiled memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/oedipa-wondered-whether-at-the-end-of-this-if-it-were-supposed-to-end/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/if-they-can-get-you-asking-the-wrong-questions-they-don-t-have-to/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“remember didn't you sneak away from camp to have a moment alone with What you felt stirring across the land . . . it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/remember-didn-t-you-sneak-away-from-camp-to-have-a-moment-alone-with/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Through rain...then through dreaming glass, green with the evening. And herself in chair, old-fashioned, bonneted, looking west over the deck of Earth, inferno red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/through-rain-then-through-dreaming-glass-green-with-the-evening-and/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“She knew instinctively: he will be fine as the fraternity boy just out of an Ivy League school who knows he will never stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/she-knew-instinctively-he-will-be-fine-as-the-fraternity-boy-just-out/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Lovely morning, World War Two.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/lovely-morning-world-war-two/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Listen to anything and take it apart again. Spectrum analysis, in my head. I can break down chords, and timbres, and words too into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/listen-to-anything-and-take-it-apart-again-spectrum-analysis-in-my/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [A screaming comes across the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/a-screaming-comes-across-the-sky/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) [Explore all 483 Thomas Pynchon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) ## More Cuss words quotes > [“But I'm pretty sure Mom won't consent to a field trip across the country with my hot boyfriend. Especially not back to Florida." I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/but-i-m-pretty-sure-mom-won-t-consent-to-a-field-trip-across-the/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [Its about to go down.. My mom told me to tell you! To mind your damn motherfucking business bitch, you lil' stupid bitch ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/its-about-to-go-down-my-mom-told-me-to-tell-you-to-mind-your-damn/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [Why does it raise eyebrows when a woman uses cuss words?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallika-sherawat/why-does-it-raise-eyebrows-when-a-woman-uses-cuss-words/) [Mallika Sherawat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallika-sherawat/) > [Since we no longer have to bleep cuss words, I promise I will get my mom to say, fuck by the end of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bam-margera/since-we-no-longer-have-to-bleep-cuss-words-i-promise-i-will-get-my/) [Bam Margera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bam-margera/) > [I like LA. LA is cool, but it aint like home. Atlanta is home. All my friends are here, I grew up here. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-tucker/i-like-la-la-is-cool-but-it-aint-like-home-atlanta-is-home-all-my/) [Chris Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-tucker/) > [I've no problems with cuss words. All of us use them. Those who say they don't are lying. People can tolerate English cuss words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manoj-bajpayee/i-ve-no-problems-with-cuss-words-all-of-us-use-them-those-who-say/) [Manoj Bajpayee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manoj-bajpayee/) > [There are worse words than cuss-words, there are words that hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tillie-olsen/there-are-worse-words-than-cuss-words-there-are-words-that-hurt/) [Tillie Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tillie-olsen/) > [People have their morals, but morals aren't concrete. People think because I'm a Muslim that I pray five times a day, but you're never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/people-have-their-morals-but-morals-aren-t-concrete-people-think/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [When I rapped for 'Manto', I used cuss words and no one objected because it was an adult movie. I feel cuss words are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raftaar/when-i-rapped-for-manto-i-used-cuss-words-and-no-one-objected-because/) [Raftaar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raftaar/) > [You have to think, when I was growing up Internet was a thing but no one had it. We didn't have it at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-clark-green/you-have-to-think-when-i-was-growing-up-internet-was-a-thing-but-no/) [William Clark Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-clark-green/) > [I like LA. LA is cool, but it ain't like home. Atlanta is home. All my friends are here, I grew up here. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-tucker/i-like-la-la-is-cool-but-it-ain-t-like-home-atlanta-is-home-all-my/) [Chris Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-tucker/) > [“Sisyphus cheated death,” Nico explained. “First he chained up Thanatos, the reaper of souls, so no one could die. Then when Thanatos got free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/sisyphus-cheated-death-nico-explained-first-he-chained-up-thanatos/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [It's really fun to write cuss words. Just in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/it-s-really-fun-to-write-cuss-words-just-in-general/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [Everybody can voice their own opinion and debate, without using racial slang, cuss words and personal insults in their comment, it is easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/everybody-can-voice-their-own-opinion-and-debate-without-using-racial/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“(on the word "fuck") 'Oh, come on, Mum,' I sighed at her protest. 'It's just an old Anglo-Saxon word for the female organ which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/on-the-word-fuck-oh-come-on-mum-i-sighed-at-her-protest-it-s-just-an/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) [Browse all 30 Cuss words quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuss-words/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“One morning Profane woke up early, couldn't get back to sleep and decided on a whim to spend the day like a yo-yo, shuttling on the subway back and forth underneath 42nd Street, from Times Square to Grand Central and vice versa. He made his way to the washroom of Our Home, tripping over two empty mattresses on route. Cut himself shaving, had trouble extracting the blade and gashed a finger. He took a shower to get rid of the blood. The handles wouldn't turn. When he finally found a shower that worked, the water came out hot and cold in random patterns. He danced around, yowling and shivering, slipped on a bar of soap and nearly broke his neck. Drying off, he ripped a frayed towel in half, rendering it useless. He put on his skivvy shirt backwards, took ten minutes getting his fly zipped and another fifteen repairing a shoelace which had broken as he was tying it. All the rests of his morning songs were silent cuss words. It wasn't that he was tired or even notably uncoordinated. 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