"Not only is life a bitch, but it is always having puppies"
About this Quote
The intent feels less like nihilism than a coping strategy disguised as a joke. Gallows humor is doing real work here, converting a vague dread (“everything is too much”) into something you can picture, name, and even laugh at. The line’s rhythm helps: “Not only... but...” sets up a rational-sounding argument, then undercuts it with a domestic, almost cute detail. Puppies are usually the symbol of new beginnings; here they’re the multiplying agents of chaos. That contradiction is the subtext: the things that are supposed to be sweet - growth, change, novelty - can also be how misery smuggles itself back into your life.
Contextually, it fits the late-20th/early-21st-century sensibility where sincerity is risky and humor becomes armor. It’s a one-sentence manifesto for anyone who’s watched one crisis resolve only to reveal three more waiting in the wings. The joke stings because it’s observational, not exaggerated: life rarely stops at “bad”; it tends to scale.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Gusoff, Adrienne. (2026, January 16). Not only is life a bitch, but it is always having puppies. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/not-only-is-life-a-bitch-but-it-is-always-having-136750/
Chicago Style
Gusoff, Adrienne. "Not only is life a bitch, but it is always having puppies." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/not-only-is-life-a-bitch-but-it-is-always-having-136750/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Not only is life a bitch, but it is always having puppies." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/not-only-is-life-a-bitch-but-it-is-always-having-136750/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.









