--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was in college, there were certain…" description: "\"When I was in college, there were certain words you couldn't say in front of a girl. Now you can say them, but you can't say 'girl.'\" — Tom Lehrer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b9/tom-lehrer-3442_certain_when-i-was-in-college-there-were-certain_1716391.jpg" --- # When I was in college, there were certain words you… ![“When I was in college, there were certain words you couldn't say in front of a girl. Now you can say them, but you can't say 'girl.'” quote by Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b9/tom-lehrer-3442_certain_when-i-was-in-college-there-were-certain_1716391.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b9/tom-lehrer-3442_certain_when-i-was-in-college-there-were-certain_1716391.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b9/tom-lehrer-3442_certain_when-i-was-in-college-there-were-certain_1716391.jpg) > “When I was in college, there were certain words you couldn't say in front of a girl. Now you can say them, but you can't say 'girl.'” [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. College social norms restrict language with girls, but modern openness changes what is taboo. **In simple terms:** College speech rules changed over time. Key Takeaway Adapt language to respect context. Themes social norms language gender dynamics Mood reflective lighthearted Type humorous observational When to use this quote - dating - public speaking - online communication Key Concepts censorship cultural shift Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance honesty with respect? - What words still feel off‑limits? A Different Perspective Changing language may not address deeper gender biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [In my youth there were words you couldn't say in front of a girl; now you can't say 'girl.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/in-my-youth-there-were-words-you-couldn-t-say-in-front-of-a-girl-now/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [ I played all four years \[at St. Mary's College\] with - at a certain point, basketball became the thing I was doing most, but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-played-all-four-years-at-st-mary-s-college-with-at-a-certain-point/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [I don't think that every child in America is going to necessarily aspire to, you know, a four-year degree from a liberal arts college…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/i-don-t-think-that-every-child-in-america-is-going-to-necessarily/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [I've always spent time talking to a lot of NBA coaches, and I've always said this: There's certain things that work in the NBA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-donovan/i-ve-always-spent-time-talking-to-a-lot-of-nba-coaches-and-i-ve/) [Billy Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-donovan/) > [I was very quiet at college and had a certain group of friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yami-gautam/i-was-very-quiet-at-college-and-had-a-certain-group-of-friends/) [Yami Gautam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yami-gautam/) > [Words, for all they were flimsy and invisible, had great strength. They could be fortified as a castle wall and sharp as a foil.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/words-for-all-they-were-flimsy-and-invisible-had-great-strength-they/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [And all the best words together couldn't hold the happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-hannigan/and-all-the-best-words-together-couldn-t-hold-the-happiness/) [Katherine Hannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-hannigan/) > [Words couldn't define your beauty! :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annonymous/words-couldn-t-define-your-beauty/) Annonymous > [“Haymitch? Not able to face something? Wanted a day off, more likely,” I say. “I think his actual words were ‘I couldn’t face it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/haymitch-not-able-to-face-something-wanted-a-day-off-more-likely-i/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [A million words couldn't bring you back, I know becuz I've tried, neither could a million tears, I know becuz I've cried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-million-words-couldn-t-bring-you-back-i-know-becuz-i-ve-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What was the point of even having a conversation when words couldn't be trusted?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dashner/what-was-the-point-of-even-having-a-conversation-when-words-couldn-t/) [James Dashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dashner/) > [But it's not easy. I've been thinking it over for years. 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Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [“Everything that was magical was just a way of describing the world in words it couldn’t ignore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/everything-that-was-magical-was-just-a-way-of-describing-the-world-in/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Tom Lehrer > [Plagiarize, plagiarize, / Let no man's work evade your eyes, / Remember why the good Lord made your eyes, / Don't shade your eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/plagiarize-plagiarize-let-no-man-s-work-evade-your-eyes-remember-why/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I ache for the touch of your lips dear, but much more for the touch of your whips dear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-ache-for-the-touch-of-your-lips-dear-but-much-more-for-the-touch-of/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [When someone makes a move Of which we don't approve, Who is it that always intervenes? U.N. and O.A.S., They have their place, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/when-someone-makes-a-move-of-which-we-don-t-approve-who-is-it-that/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-m-not-tempted-to-write-a-song-about-george-w-bush-i-couldn-t-figure/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Don't solicit for your sister, it's not nice. Unless you get a good percentage of her price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/don-t-solicit-for-your-sister-it-s-not-nice-unless-you-get-a-good/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [It is a sobering thought that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/it-is-a-sobering-thought-that-when-mozart-was-my-age-he-had-been-dead/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [“I am never forget the day I first meet the great Lobachevsky. In one word he told me secret of success in mathematics: Plagiarize!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-am-never-forget-the-day-i-first-meet-the-great-lobachevsky-in-one/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Counting in octal is just likst counting in decimal--if you don't use your thumbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/counting-in-octal-is-just-likst-counting-in-decimal-if-you-don-t-use/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Disclaimer: If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared to not only retract it, but also to deny under oath I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/disclaimer-if-anyone-disagrees-with-anything-i-say-i-am-quite/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Don't write naughty words on the wall if you can't spell!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/don-t-write-naughty-words-on-the-wall-if-you-can-t-spell/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I don't want to satirise George Bush and his puppeteers, I want to vaporise them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-don-t-want-to-satirise-george-bush-and-his-puppeteers-i-want-to/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [San Francisco is a city of twenty-something millionaire white kids named Doug.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/san-francisco-is-a-city-of-twenty-something-millionaire-white-kids/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [On Christmas day you can't get sore, Your fellow man you must adore, There's time to cheat him all the more The other three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/on-christmas-day-you-can-t-get-sore-your-fellow-man-you-must-adore/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Be prepared, and be careful not to do your good deeds when there's no one watching you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/be-prepared-and-be-careful-not-to-do-your-good-deeds-when-there-s-no/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [There's something mathematically satisfying about music: notes fit together and harmony and all that. And mathematics has to do with abstractions and making connections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/there-s-something-mathematically-satisfying-about-music-notes-fit/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) [Explore all 130 Tom Lehrer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. 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I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. 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