A brass padlock closes around a blue question-mark shape on a yellow felt disc.

Original artwork, not a still

Joel Goodson

It seems to me that if there were any logic to our language, trust would be a four letter word.

— Risky Business ‧ 1983

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker plays on English spelling to make a cynical point. If words matched their meanings, trust would be a short, blunt four-letter word like the rude ones, because it deserves the same wariness. The joke suggests trust is dangerous and best handled with suspicion.

Context reviewed

Share this quote