A pale blue closed paperback with a small glass on top holding a paper umbrella, on an orange checkered cloth.

Original artwork, not a still

Henny Youngman

When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Reading about drinking's dangers leads to a carefully chosen solution: stop reading. The joke keeps the troublesome habit and removes the unwelcome information. That backwards response lets the speaker sound decisive while avoiding the change the warning would normally suggest.

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