Original artwork, not a still
They were both high. They'd been smokin' everything but their shoes.
— Steel Magnolias ‧ 1989
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Clairee's gossip is shameless and affectionate at once, and this is her sharpest one-liner: a polite Southern euphemism pushed one step too far. It is a favourite among fans of the film's wisecracks and is quoted as the standard joke about two people caught misbehaving.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Steel MagnoliasShow the scene
In the final stretch of Steel Magnolias (1989), set after Shelby's son has had his first birthday, Clairee Belcher holds the room while she catches the group up on small-town scandal. She first tells how her nephew Marshall broke the news that he was gay by pretending to have a brain tumour. Then she moves on to Nancy Beth Marmillion, stripped of her Miss Merry Christmas crown after being found in a local motel with a high political official. Clairee delivers the verdict on the pair with this line, adding that the beauty queen was caught with her tinsel down around her knees.
Sources (2)
- Springfield! Springfield! Steel Magnolias scriptgossip scene after the first-birthday partyReference checked
- Wikipedia, Steel MagnoliasPlot and infoboxReference checked
Context reviewed
