About this quote

The line mixes a joke with a thinly veiled warning so you can see where loyalty ends and action begins. It points out how people use humor to test limits and measure reactions. When you hear this, pay attention to the boundary under the laugh and decide whether to address it straight on. If you care about someone, name your limits calmly and make sure your words match what you will do.

When to use it

• At the office holiday party when a coworker keeps getting handsy with my partner, I deadpanned that line to put him on notice without starting a scene.
• At a family barbecue after a cousin made an uncomfortable joke about my wife, I remembered the line and stepped between them so he knew I meant business.
• After a tense moment at a post-game celebration when an opposing player started inching toward my girlfriend, I used the line to warn him off and keep things from turning physical.
• In the dorm when a guy wouldn't respect my roommate's 'no,' I thought of that exact line before I moved in to make it clear the situation wasn't a joke.