Of Mice and Men Quotes
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Source: Of Mice and Men
Author: John Steinbeck
"He ain't mean," said Slim. "I can tell a mean guy from a mile off."
Slim sat in silence for a moment. "Didn't hurt the girl none, huh?" he asked finally.
"Hell no. He just scared her. I'd be scared too, if he grabbed me. But he never hurt her. He jus' wanted to touch that red dress, like he wants to pet them pups all the time."
"He ain't mean," said Slim. "I can tell a mean guy from a mile off."
Context
In Chapter 3 of Of Mice and Men, George tells Slim what happened in Weed with the girl in the red dress: she got frightened of Lennie's petting, and he and Lennie had to run for their lives—or at least run and hide in a muddy ditch for a while. Slim, our Wise Old Master, says that Lennie isn't "mean"—and he adds that he's "jes like a kid."
Where you've heard it
"I can tell a mean guy from a mile off" sounds like something someone on Survivor would say.
Right before they get voted off.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
There's nothing pretentious about having a bad feeling.