"As the French say, there are three sexes - men, women, and clergymen"

This quote by Sydney Smith is a funny method of explaining the differences in between males, women, and clergymen. He is suggesting that clergymen are a separate sex, distinct from males and females. This is likely a referral to the truth that clergymen are usually seen as having a higher moral standing than the typical person, and that they are held to a various standard. Smith is implying that clergymen are a special sex, which they ought to be discriminated than males and females. This quote is additionally a reminder that sex roles are socially constructed, and that there are several ways to view sex. Smith's quote is a funny means of highlighting the distinctions between men, women, and clergymen, as well as of advising us that sex roles are not dealt with.