--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who knows but we may count among our…" description: "\"Who knows but we may count among our intellectual chickens Like them an Earl of Thackeray and p'raps a Duke of Dickens\" — W. S. Gilbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/w-s-gilbert-8102_chickens_who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-int_1208864.jpg" --- # Who knows but we may count among our intellectual chickens… ![“Who knows but we may count among our intellectual chickens Like them an Earl of Thackeray and p'raps a Duke of Dickens” quote by W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/w-s-gilbert-8102_chickens_who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-int_1208864.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/w-s-gilbert-8102_chickens_who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-int_1208864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/w-s-gilbert-8102_chickens_who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-int_1208864.jpg) > “Who knows but we may count among our intellectual chickens Like them an Earl of Thackeray and p'raps a Duke of Dickens” [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intellectuals may be as foolish as chickens, yet even aristocrats can be reduced to absurdity. **In simple terms:** Even smart people can act silly. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions about expertise. Themes humor satire aristocracy Mood playful ironic Type satirical literary When to use this quote - political commentary - literary analysis - media criticism Key Concepts social critique absurdity Questions to Reflect On - What does “intellectual chickens” reveal about your own biases? - How does satire help expose pretension? A Different Perspective Not all intellectuals are serious; satire can mask deeper truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chickens/) [Count Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count-intellectual-3655919/) [Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dickens/) [Dukes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dukes/) [Earl Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earl-thackeray-3655920/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intellectual Chickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual-chickens-3655918/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Rap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rap/) [Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thackeray-270083/) [Thackeray Raps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thackeray-raps-3655921/) ## Related quotes > [Thackeray is an institution that cannot become irrelevant because of one election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharad-pawar/thackeray-is-an-institution-that-cannot-become-irrelevant-because-of/) [Sharad Pawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharad-pawar/) > [“May. Thackeray’s Catherine in Fraser’s (seven instalments ending in Feb. 1840).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-polidori/may-thackeray-s-catherine-in-fraser-s-seven-instalments-ending-in-feb/) [John William Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-polidori/) > [Cartoons, if you ask me, are the most powerful weapon in today's politics. Balasaheb Thackeray has proved this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-thackeray/cartoons-if-you-ask-me-are-the-most-powerful-weapon-in-today-s/) [Raj Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-thackeray/) > [“Thackeray aggressively put forward his theory of Thokshahi and called it ‘constructive violence’,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaibhav-purandare/thackeray-aggressively-put-forward-his-theory-of-thokshahi-and-called/) [Vaibhav Purandare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaibhav-purandare/) > [It was not a state secret that I would call on Thackeray. I was not hiding anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharad-pawar/it-was-not-a-state-secret-that-i-would-call-on-thackeray-i-was-not/) [Sharad Pawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharad-pawar/) > [Balasaheb Thackeray's teachings have been that defeat is better than false promises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uddhav-thackeray/balasaheb-thackeray-s-teachings-have-been-that-defeat-is-better-than/) [Uddhav Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uddhav-thackeray/) > [Thackeray and Balzac will make it possible for our descendants to live over again the England and France of to-day. Seen in this light,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gilbert-hamerton/thackeray-and-balzac-will-make-it-possible-for-our-descendants-to/) [Philip Gilbert Hamerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gilbert-hamerton/) > [I would say that if a man like Balasaheb Thackeray can exist, 'Sarkar' can exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-gopal-varma/i-would-say-that-if-a-man-like-balasaheb-thackeray-can-exist-sarkar/) [Ram Gopal Varma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-gopal-varma/) > [“Thackeray is careful not to present a protagonist who is malevolently evil from birth; to trace a figure like this is unrewarding certainly to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-j-anisman/thackeray-is-careful-not-to-present-a-protagonist-who-is-malevolently/) [Martin J. Anisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-j-anisman/) > [“This is Thackeray’s first full-length novel, which appeared in serialised instalments in Fraser’s Magazine between May 1839 and February 1840. Thackeray’s original intention was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/this-is-thackeray-s-first-full-length-novel-which-appeared-in/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“With this purpose, the author chose for the subject of his story a woman named Catherine Hayes, who was burned at Tyburn, in 1726,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/with-this-purpose-the-author-chose-for-the-subject-of-his-story-a/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [I don't think like Raj Thackeray... that anyone from Uttar Pradesh or Bihar or anywhere who comes to Mumbai is an outsider.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakhi-sawant/i-don-t-think-like-raj-thackeray-that-anyone-from-uttar-pradesh-or/) [Rakhi Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakhi-sawant/) > [It has never been more critical that a leader step forward to accelerate our understanding of cancer - and champion the effort to finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-dzau/it-has-never-been-more-critical-that-a-leader-step-forward-to/) [Victor J. Dzau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-j-dzau/) > [I would like to go to Russia very much — although the bastards murdered half my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/i-would-like-to-go-to-russia-very-much-although-the-bastards-murdered/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) ## More by W. S. Gilbert > [The Law is the true embodiment of everything that's excellent; it has no kind of fault or flaw and I, my Lords, embody the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/the-law-is-the-true-embodiment-of-everything-that-s-excellent-it-has/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [A man is but an ass Who fights in a cuirass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/a-man-is-but-an-ass-who-fights-in-a-cuirass/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [I love my fellow creatures - I do all the good I can - yet everybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/i-love-my-fellow-creatures-i-do-all-the-good-i-can-yet-everybody-says/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [The idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone, All centuries but this, and every country but his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/the-idiot-who-praises-with-enthusiastic-tone-all-centuries-but-this/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [And that singular anomaly, the lady novelist-- I don't think she'd be missed--I'm sure she'd not be missed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/and-that-singular-anomaly-the-lady-novelist-i-don-t-think-she-d-be/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [I am the Captain of the Pinafore ; And a right good captain too! . . . . And I'm never, never sick at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/i-am-the-captain-of-the-pinafore-and-a-right-good-captain-too-and-i-m/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [There's a fascination frantic in a ruin that's romantic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/there-s-a-fascination-frantic-in-a-ruin-that-s-romantic/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [Utopia's quite another land; In her enterprising movements, She is England--with improvements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/utopia-s-quite-another-land-in-her-enterprising-movements-she-is/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [Is life a boon? If so, it must befall That Death, whene'er he call, Must call too soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/is-life-a-boon-if-so-it-must-befall-that-death-whene-er-he-call-must/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [every Jack He must study the knack If he wants to make sure of his Jill!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/every-jack-he-must-study-the-knack-if-he-wants-to-make-sure-of-his/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [If I can wheedle A knife or a needle, Why not a Silver Churn?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/if-i-can-wheedle-a-knife-or-a-needle-why-not-a-silver-churn/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [All bayonets are bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/all-bayonets-are-bad/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [The happiest hour a sailor sees Is when he's down At an inland town, With his Nancy on his knees, yo ho! And his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/the-happiest-hour-a-sailor-sees-is-when-he-s-down-at-an-inland-town/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [For duty, duty must be done; The rule applies to everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/for-duty-duty-must-be-done-the-rule-applies-to-everyone/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) > [Then a sentimental passion of a vegetable fashion must excite your languid spleen, An attachment a la Plato for a bashful young potato, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/then-a-sentimental-passion-of-a-vegetable-fashion-must-excite-your/) [W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) [Explore all 84 W. S. Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/) ## More Chickens quotes > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) [Christoph Niemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-niemann/) > [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [I've never even been into those supplements or any of that. I don't even drink energy shakes. I'm not into that kind of stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-ve-never-even-been-into-those-supplements-or-any-of-that-i-don-t/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [One of the mistakes I made was thinking chickens and penguins could sing, just like all the other animals in the 'Muppets.' But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-mckenzie/one-of-the-mistakes-i-made-was-thinking-chickens-and-penguins-could/) [Bret McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-mckenzie/) > [My dad was proud of himself when he farted. He sounds like he's strangling a chicken when he farts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-barron/my-dad-was-proud-of-himself-when-he-farted-he-sounds-like-he-s/) [Carl Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-barron/) > [I joined PETA for minks and dogs. I need my beef, my chicken, my seafood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waka-flocka-flame/i-joined-peta-for-minks-and-dogs-i-need-my-beef-my-chicken-my-seafood/) [Waka Flocka Flame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waka-flocka-flame/) > [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [In a way that somebody else converts to Judaism or becomes a Hare Krishna, I belong to the church of fried chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-lakshmi/in-a-way-that-somebody-else-converts-to-judaism-or-becomes-a-hare/) [Padma Lakshmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-lakshmi/) > [I eat a lot of chicken with salad or salmon with salad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ellison/i-eat-a-lot-of-chicken-with-salad-or-salmon-with-salad/) [Jennifer Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ellison/) > [To this day I over prepare. I draw storyboards for every scene - chicken scratches so crude that they amuse and horrify the crew.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stoltz/to-this-day-i-over-prepare-i-draw-storyboards-for-every-scene-chicken/) [Eric Stoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stoltz/) > [Just erotic. Nothing kinky. It's the difference between using a feather and using a chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/just-erotic-nothing-kinky-it-s-the-difference-between-using-a-feather/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You want a drumstick? Like a ice cream cone or a chicken wing!?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-joe-armstrong/you-want-a-drumstick-like-a-ice-cream-cone-or-a-chicken-wing/) [Billie Joe Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-joe-armstrong/) > [I'm such a fitness freak that I eat so plain, it's gross. I have oatmeal in the morning and then I have chicken breasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-such-a-fitness-freak-that-i-eat-so-plain-it-s-gross-i-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The chickens have come home to roast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-ace/the-chickens-have-come-home-to-roast/) [Jane Ace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-ace/) > [Dinner Special - Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/dinner-special-turkey-2-35-chicken-or-beef-2-25-children-2-00/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) [Browse all 1,079 Chickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chickens/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Who knows but we may count among our intellectual chickens Like them an Earl of Thackeray and p'raps a Duke of Dickens", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. S. Gilbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-intellectual-chickens-like-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chickens" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-intellectual-chickens-like-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/w-s-gilbert-8102_chickens_who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-int_1208864.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/w-s-gilbert-8102_chickens_who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-int_1208864.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/w-s-gilbert-8102_chickens_who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-int_1208864.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Who knows but we may count among our intellectual chickens Like them an Earl of Thackeray and p'raps a Duke…” — W. S. Gilbert", "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": "W. S. Gilbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Who knows but we may count...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-intellectual-chickens-like-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/who-knows-but-we-may-count-among-our-intellectual-chickens-like-them/#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 } } ] } ```