On my income tax 1040 it says “Check this box if you are blind.” I wanted to put a check mark about three inches away.
Meaning of the quote
The quote is a joke that pokes fun at the way income tax forms are designed. The comedian Tom Lehrer is saying that even though the form asks you to check a box if you are blind, he wanted to check the box from a distance, as if he was trying to pretend he was blind when he really wasn't. The joke highlights how some forms can be confusing or inconvenient for people to fill out.
About Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer was an American musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, and mathematician who became popular in the 1950s and 1960s for his pithy and humorous songs. He often parodied popular musical forms and tackled social and political issues in his work, which has remained relevant long after their initial topical subjects.
More quotes from Tom Lehrer
Think as you work, for in the final analysis, your worth to your company comes not only in solving problems, but also in anticipating them.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
Bad weather always looks worse through a window.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
Life is like a sewer… what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
On my income tax 1040 it says “Check this box if you are blind.” I wanted to put a check mark about three inches away.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
I know that there are people who do not love their fellow man, and I hate people like that!
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
I wish people who have trouble communicating would just shut up.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
It is a sobering thought that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
An actress must never lose her ego – without it she has no talent.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
If a person feels he can’t communicate, the least he can do is shut up about it.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
Be prepared, and be careful not to do your good deeds when there’s no one watching you.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
The Army has carried the American ideal to its logical conclusion. Not only do they prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, creed and color, but also on ability.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
I feel that if a person has problems communicating the very least he can do is to shut up.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
In my youth there were words you couldn’t say in front of a girl; now you can’t say ‘girl.’
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
It is sobering to consider that when Mozart was my age he had already been dead for a year.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
Counting in octal is just like counting in decimal, if you don’t use your .
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
Apart from that Mrs Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)
When you get to fifty-two food becomes more important than sex.
American musician, satirist, and mathematician (born 1928)