A floral teacup stands beside roses and a lace napkin with a small red cloven-hoof shape peeking out.

Original artwork, not a still

The Code of the Woosters ‧ 1938

P.G. Wodehouse

It is no use telling me there are bad aunts and good aunts. At the core, they are all alike. Sooner or later, out pops the cloven hoof.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A comic complaint that all aunts, whether they seem kind or fierce, share the same hidden nature. The 'cloven hoof' is an old image for a devil's true self showing, so the joke is that eventually every aunt reveals something wicked.

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