Approve Quotes
I did not attend his funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.
"I did not attend his funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."— Mark Twain
Download in different sizes
Meaning of this quote
The joke expresses hostility to a deceased person through a formally polite response.
Key takeaway:
Notice how the polite form sharpens the insult.
Origin of the quote
A funeral joke associated earlier with Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar.
Who actually said this?
Likely misattributedQuote Investigator documents earlier Hoar attributions and a much later Twain credit. The exact modern sentence is a polished variant.
