"Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps"
About this Quote
Intent-wise, Philips is doing what his persona does best: smuggling a grim internal monologue into a one-liner that’s too weird to be sentimental. Depression, burnout, dread - whatever name you give it - is reframed as slapstick survival. The leather straps imply confinement, but also self-imposed ritual: you wake up already restrained, already negotiating with your own agency. Chewing, not unbuckling, suggests you don’t have tools, patience, or permission; you have teeth and stubbornness. That’s a tiny, savage portrait of coping.
Context matters: Philips emerged from an era of stand-up that loved misdirection, but he sharpened it into existential vaudeville. The joke’s subtext is that the audience recognizes the feeling even if the scenario is insane. It works because it refuses inspiration. It offers camaraderie in the ugliest metaphor available, then moves on, as if that’s the only honest way to talk about mornings.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
|---|---|
| Source | Later attribution: Man Walks Into a Bar (Stephen Arnott, Mike Haskins, 2022) modern compilationISBN: 9781646043644 · ID: 4C9qEAAAQBAJ
Evidence: ... Some mornings , it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps . ” Emo Phillips * Well , today was a total waste of makeup . * What's the difference between ignorance and apathy ? I don't know and I don't care . APPEARANCE ... Other candidates (1) Emo Philips (Emo Philips) compilation72.7% otes some mornings it just doesnt seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Philips, Emo. (2026, January 13). Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/some-mornings-its-just-not-worth-chewing-through-66268/
Chicago Style
Philips, Emo. "Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps." FixQuotes. January 13, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/some-mornings-its-just-not-worth-chewing-through-66268/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps." FixQuotes, 13 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/some-mornings-its-just-not-worth-chewing-through-66268/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.



