Groucho Marx: Alimony Buying Hay
on Saturday, January 25, 2020Groucho Marx Money Quote saying paying alimony is equivalent to feeding a dead horse. Groucho Marx said:
“Alimony is like buying hay for a dead horse” — Groucho Marx
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In this quote, Groucho Marx seems to be making a wry comparison between alimony payments after a divorce and an illogical act. By likening alimony to “buying hay for a dead horse”, Marx implies that continuing financial support for an ex-spouse after a marriage has dissolved is nonsensical, since one cannot feed or benefit a deceased animal in the way a living one can be nourished. The joke plays on the absurdity of spending money on something no longer living or deriving sustenance.
Overall, the tone suggests Marx is satirizing alimony through absurdist humor, conveying his perspective that post-marital financial obligations to a former partner lack rationale once the relationship has concluded, much like purchasing food that cannot be consumed. The quote portrays Marx’s viewpoint through comedic metaphor rather than a literal argument, but implies alimony seemed illogical or pointless to him after a marriage terminated.
Birthday: October 2, 1890 – Death: August 19, 1977