"Husbands are like fires - they go out when unattended"
About this Quote
It’s also a neat piece of status play. “Unattended” carries a double meaning: emotional neglect and literal absence. Gabor suggests fidelity and affection aren’t moral achievements so much as the result of constant vigilance. That framing turns the usual blame script inside out. If he “goes out,” it’s not necessarily because he’s weak or cruel; it’s because the system is designed to make a woman responsible for his heat. The laugh comes from the cynicism of that bargain, delivered with the lightness of a cocktail anecdote.
Context matters: Gabor’s public persona was glamour sharpened into comedy, and her multiple marriages made her a living rebuttal to earnest mid-century marriage mythology. She performs worldly expertise while winking at the audience: everyone knows the fairy tale, but here’s the maintenance manual. The line sells liberation and complicity at once - a confession that the game is rigged, and a reminder that she’s learned how to play it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Husband & Wife |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Gabor, Zsa Zsa. (2026, January 18). Husbands are like fires - they go out when unattended. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/husbands-are-like-fires-they-go-out-when-2502/
Chicago Style
Gabor, Zsa Zsa. "Husbands are like fires - they go out when unattended." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/husbands-are-like-fires-they-go-out-when-2502/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Husbands are like fires - they go out when unattended." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/husbands-are-like-fires-they-go-out-when-2502/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.









