# Question About quote in "Road House" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 24, 2016, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594 "2016-05-24T23:23:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/1 "2016-05-24T23:23:30Z")
I’ve seen this movie a thousand times, but still can’t figure out this line: When Dalton is renting the barn/loft/apartment, the old guy says “It ain’t the money ya understand, but if I don’t charge ya somethin’ the Presbyterians around here are likely to pray for my ruination.” What is the meaning of this line? The Presbyterians would be mad if he let someone stay for free? Is he just kidding as a way to say how much he wants for rent? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/2 "2016-05-25T00:11:46Z")
Maybe if he doesn’t pay rent, the bible thumpers will think they’re gay lovers? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/3 "2016-05-25T01:30:52Z")
Fun fact: In the original script, Dalton’s reply to the old man was “Well sir, those Presbyterians make the Episcopalians look like Franciscans!”, but this line was cut under strong criticism by the Anabaptists for being too fancy. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/4 "2016-05-25T02:16:52Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Maybe if he doesn’t pay rent, the bible thumpers will think they’re gay lovers? Waitaminute… they _weren’t_ gay lovers? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/5 "2016-05-25T13:53:10Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I’ve seen this movie a thousand times, but still can’t figure out this line: When Dalton is renting the barn/loft/apartment, the old guy says “It ain’t the money ya understand, but if I don’t charge ya somethin’ the Presbyterians around here are likely to pray for my ruination.” > > What is the meaning of this line? The Presbyterians would be mad if he let someone stay for free? Is he just kidding as a way to say how much he wants for rent? Completely unburdened by the facts, here’s a guess: Presbyterians have a Scottish history. Scots have been stereotyped as stingy with money. So the P’s will judge you for not being frugal and charging what you can/should. ? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/6 "2016-05-25T14:00:42Z")
I always took it as being his comment on local busy-bodies who would delight in having something to gossip about, and it just happened that those busy-bodies were a bunch of Presbyterian biddies. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/7 "2016-05-25T14:11:05Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I always took it as being his comment on local busy-bodies who would delight in having something to gossip about, and it just happened that those busy-bodies were a bunch of Presbyterian biddies. This and also that Dalton isn’t exactly the “proper” type to be letting stay for free. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/8 "2016-05-25T15:44:00Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I always took it as being his comment on local busy-bodies who would delight in having something to gossip about, and it just happened that those busy-bodies were a bunch of Presbyterian biddies. So they would gossip that he wasn’t charging rent? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/9 "2016-05-25T15:46:43Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > This and also that Dalton isn’t exactly the “proper” type to be letting stay for free. I don’t understand what you mean by this. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/10 "2016-05-25T16:33:50Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Maybe if he doesn’t pay rent, the bible thumpers will think they’re gay lovers? This. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/11 "2016-05-25T16:38:45Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Completely unburdened by the facts, here’s a guess: Presbyterians have a Scottish history. Scots have been stereotyped as stingy with money. So the P’s will judge you for not being frugal and charging what you can/should. This is the interpretation I would take. However, although the film is set somewhere in southern Missouri (IIRC), this isn’t really a stronghold of Presbyterianism; in fact, except for the St. Louis area, it is difficult to find Scots-Irish heritage groups that brought Presbyterian Protestant churches to the US. You’d expect to find more Pentacostal, Southern Baptist, and various Restoration Movement (Church of Christ, Desciples of Christ, et cetera) churches in the region. Of course, you also won’t find tall mountains or palm trees in southern and central Missouri, either. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/12 "2016-05-25T16:45:08Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I don’t understand what you mean by this. Dalton is a professional bouncer. He spends all his time in bars. The Presbyterian biddies don’t approve of people like that. In fact they don’t approve of people who go to bars at all. And he’s not a local person-who know’s he might be _gasp_ Catholic. (or Jewish, or Baptist…) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/13 "2016-05-25T17:03:23Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > This is the interpretation I would take. However, although the film is set somewhere in southern Missouri (IIRC), this isn’t really a stronghold of Presbyterianism; in fact, except for the St. Louis area, it is difficult to find Scots-Irish heritage groups that brought Presbyterian Protestant churches to the US. You’d expect to find more Pentacostal, Southern Baptist, and various Restoration Movement (Church of Christ, Desciples of Christ, et cetera) churches in the region. Of course, you also won’t find tall mountains or palm trees in southern and central Missouri, either. > > Stranger I wouldn’t think _Road House_ would be overly concerned about having the correct demographics for their fake local population of busybodies. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/14 "2016-05-25T17:36:54Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I wouldn’t think _Road House_ would be overly concerned about having the correct demographics for their fake local population of busybodies. 😛 Next you are going to tell me that there isn’t a real extreme sports-oriented bank robbing gang as portrayed in that cinematic milestone, _Point Break_. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/15 "2016-05-25T17:53:34Z")
Well, not surfers or parachutists, but definitely drift car drivers. There have been that whole series of _Fast and Furious_ documentaries (yes, apparently they’re angry too). ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/16 "2016-05-25T17:58:50Z")
This is probably in my top fifty movies, and I too have watched it a bunch. I’ve never put any thought into that particular line, though. My question would be, how would anyone know whether Dalton is paying rent anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/17 "2016-05-25T18:08:53Z")
> [@Personal](#): > > This is probably in my top fifty movies, and I too have watched it a bunch. I’ve never put any thought into that particular line, though. I don’t think anyone has put this much thought into a Patrick Swayze movie since an analysis of whether Swayze’s character possessing Whoopi Goldberg in _Ghost_ and then making out with Demi Moore represented a legitimate lesbian encounter or not. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/18 "2016-05-25T18:20:48Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Waitaminute… they _weren’t_ gay lovers? Dead Men tell no tales. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/19 "2016-05-25T19:12:16Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Dalton is a professional bouncer. He spends all his time in bars. The Presbyterian biddies don’t approve of people like that. In fact they don’t approve of people who go to bars at all. > > And he’s not a local person-who know’s he might be _gasp_ Catholic. (or Jewish, or Baptist…) Yeah I get that. But it seems like they wouldn’t approve whether he paid rent or not. The quote makes it seem that they would only disapprove if he didn’t pay rent. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594/20 "2016-05-26T06:00:59Z")
They will disapprove anyway, but the fact that he pays rent is justification enough to let him stay. “And that, that… that… man! Is staying in _your house_?” “Well, the barn really, and he’s payin’ rent, you know how it is, what with the taxman and these days the farm don’t give too much nohow…” “Uh. Oh. OK then.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-quote-in-road-house/755594.md?page=2)