A broken pink piggy bank lies beside a fallen brass goblet and curled orange ribbon on a dark surface.

Original artwork, not a still

Dean Vernon Wormer

Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

— Animal House • 1978

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker delivers a blunt rebuke by joining three insults into a judgment about an entire way of life. The final 'son' gives the scolding a paternal edge. Its comic force comes from the compact list and the matter-of-fact advice built around such unflattering terms.

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