An ornate hand mirror leans against a burgundy velvet cushion beside a pale quill feather.

Original artwork, not a still

Lily Tomlin

When you talk about yourself for 35 years, first of all, it gets repetitious. And then it seems a little bit excessive, at the least.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker says that decades of talking about themselves first turn dull through repetition, and then start to seem excessive. It is a dry, self-deprecating admission: even a favourite subject wears thin, and going on about oneself for so long begins to look like indulgence.

Context reviewed

Share this quote