Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is Burns's whole worldview as a verb: when a problem knocks on the door, he answers it with a pack of dogs and no conversation. The calm, reedy delivery makes the cruelty funny, and the line has become fan shorthand for any absurdly disproportionate response, quoted whenever someone wants unwelcome company gone.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The SimpsonsShow the scene
Mr. Burns's standing answer to unwanted visitors on The Simpsons. He tells his assistant Smithers to unleash the pack of purebred Doberman guard dogs kept at the Burns mansion, and Smithers does. The fan wiki lists the hounds' first appearance in "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" (season 2, aired 22 November 1990), where Burns, eating an extravagant dinner alone, sets them on Bart as he sneaks through the grounds. They return across the decades, aimed at charity collectors and other unwelcome guests, and episodes such as "Simprovised" swap in gentle sheepdogs for a joke.
Sources (2)
- Simpsons Wiki: The HoundsHistory and Appearances sectionsReference checked
- Simpsons Wiki: Bart vs. ThanksgivingFull Story and infoboxReference checked
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