"Never call an accountant a credit to his profession; a good accountant is a debit to his profession"

This quote by Charles Lyell is a funny way of saying that a good accountant is not necessarily a favorable reflection of the profession. It indicates that a great accounting professional is someone who is so proficient at their job that they have the ability to minimize the amount of cash that their customers owe. In other words, an excellent accounting professional is a debit to their profession because they are able to lower the quantity of money that their clients owe. This quote is an amusing method of saying that a good accountant is not necessarily a positive reflection of the profession, however rather somebody who is so proficient at their task that they have the ability to minimize the quantity of cash that their clients owe. It is a tip that a great accountant is not necessarily a credit to their occupation, however rather a debit to it.