A brass telescope rests on a weathered wooden post beneath a small glowing moon against a deep-blue background.

Original artwork, not a still

Smithers

If Mr. Burns wants to see a stranger he will look at him through a high-powered telescope.

— The Simpsons ‧ 1989

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker says that if Mr. Burns wants a look at a stranger, he will use a powerful telescope. The line pictures a man who prefers observing people from a great distance rather than meeting them, treating aloofness with deadpan, comic exaggeration.

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