--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human, Allen, is an adjective, and its…" description: "\"Human, Allen, is an adjective, and its use as a noun is in itself regrettable.\" — William S. Burroughs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/william-s-burroughs-528_adjective_human-allen-is-an-adjective-and-its-use_2057981.png" --- # Human, Allen, is an adjective, and its use as a noun is in… ![“Human, Allen, is an adjective, and its use as a noun is in itself regrettable.” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/william-s-burroughs-528_adjective_human-allen-is-an-adjective-and-its-use_2057981.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/william-s-burroughs-528_adjective_human-allen-is-an-adjective-and-its-use_2057981.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/william-s-burroughs-528_adjective_human-allen-is-an-adjective-and-its-use_2057981.png) > “Human, Allen, is an adjective, and its use as a noun is in itself regrettable.” [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Labeling “human” as an adjective and then a noun highlights linguistic absurdities and critiques dehumanization. **In simple terms:** Calling “human” a noun is odd. Key Takeaway Question language that strips humanity. Themes language identity philosophy Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - literary analysis - media studies - cultural criticism - teaching Key Concepts linguistics social critique Questions to Reflect On - Why does he object to the noun? - How does this affect meaning? A Different Perspective May alienate readers unfamiliar with his style. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adjective/) [Adjectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adjectives/) [Allen Adjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allen-adjective-3911014/) [Human Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-allen-3911015/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Noun Regrettable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noun-regrettable-3911013/) [Nouns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nouns/) [Regrettable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regrettable-853162/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [And I hear nothing because it's like the volume button has been turned down on our lives and nobody has anything to say anymore."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/and-i-hear-nothing-because-it-s-like-the-volume-button-has-been/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [The adjective is the enemy of the noun. Variant: The adjective is the enemy of the substantive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-adjective-is-the-enemy-of-the-noun-variant-the-adjective-is-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Good is a noun rather than an adjective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/good-is-a-noun-rather-than-an-adjective/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [I do so like all-encompassing words. Verb, adjective, noun. Yes, you are shitted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/i-do-so-like-all-encompassing-words-verb-adjective-noun-yes-you-are/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [If the noun is good and the verb is strong, you almost never need an adjective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-lukas/if-the-noun-is-good-and-the-verb-is-strong-you-almost-never-need-an/) [J. 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Adjective is inappropriate to noun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/to-speak-today-of-a-famous-novelist-is-like-speaking-of-a-famous/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I miss the Stella girls telling me what I am. 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The truth of a painting, or a book or a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-all-lies-deceit-pretense-is-stripped-away-what-remains-the-truth/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“There is no final enough of wisdom, experience - any fucking thing. No Holy Grail, No Final Satori, no solution. Just conflict. Only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-is-no-final-enough-of-wisdom-experience-any-fucking-thing-no/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“For John Dillinger In hope he is still alive Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1986 In hope he is still alive Thanks for the wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-john-dillinger-in-hope-he-is-still-alive-thanksgiving-day/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk? 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Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## More Adjective quotes > [I like that 'Mad Men' is now an adjective I use to describe clothing when I'm shopping: 'I like this top. It's very 'Mad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-brie/i-like-that-mad-men-is-now-an-adjective-i-use-to-describe-clothing/) [Alison Brie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-brie/) > [I'm showbiz-fat. It's so funny, in all the reviews that I read, no one wants to use the word 'fat' as an adjective. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-jaret-winokur/i-m-showbiz-fat-it-s-so-funny-in-all-the-reviews-that-i-read-no-one/) [Marissa Jaret Winokur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-jaret-winokur/) > [“The book was sloppily written in many parts (the words came too quickly and too easily) and there was hardly a noun in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/the-book-was-sloppily-written-in-many-parts-the-words-came-too/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/christian-is-a-great-noun-and-a-poor-adjective/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [The adjective is the banana peel of the parts of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/the-adjective-is-the-banana-peel-of-the-parts-of-speech/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [Single \|sin-gle\| (adjective) - Too fabulous to settle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/single-sin-gle-adjective-too-fabulous-to-settle/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [How can an adjective in front of a noun not describe the noun? There are dwarf stars, but they're still considered stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/how-can-an-adjective-in-front-of-a-noun-not-describe-the-noun-there/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [A movie is a movie is a movie. But it has to have an adjective in front of it if it's not a white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/a-movie-is-a-movie-is-a-movie-but-it-has-to-have-an-adjective-in/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [“Person, Place, Thing (Noun); Describes Action (Verb); Modifies Nouns (Adjective); Answers the W Questions (Adverb); Joins Words Together (Conjunction); Things We Say When We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kory-stamper/person-place-thing-noun-describes-action-verb-modifies-nouns/) [Kory Stamper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kory-stamper/) > [The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-strunk-jr/the-adjective-hasn-t-been-built-that-can-pull-a-weak-or-inaccurate/) [William Strunk, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-strunk-jr/) > [My goal in life is to become an adjective,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/my-goal-in-life-is-to-become-an-adjective/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [An adjective, such as 'flimsy,' describes someone's access to a thing, such as 'argument.' 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That I'm sweet and placid and accommodating and loyal and nonthreatening and good to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-miss-the-stella-girls-telling-me-what-i-am-that-i-m-sweet-and/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [You may call me selfish if you will, conservative or reactionary, or use any other harsh adjective you see fit to apply, but an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cabot-lodge/you-may-call-me-selfish-if-you-will-conservative-or-reactionary-or/) [Henry Cabot Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cabot-lodge/) [Browse all 49 Adjective quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adjective/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Human, Allen, is an adjective, and its use as a noun is in itself regrettable.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William S. 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