Two wooden chairs face a small green-covered table with a bottle and glasses, with a hand mirror on one seat.

Original artwork, not a still

William Wycherley

Women serve but to keep a man from better company.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A cynical, dismissive jab: women exist only to keep a man away from more worthwhile company. It reflects a dated, sexist viewpoint that treats women as a distraction rather than as people worth engaging with.

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