Question

Facetious remarks often communicate serious ideas. An example is this comment by Mark Twain: "One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives." What is the serious meaning behind that remark? What might be the benefit of expressing that meaning in a joking manner?

Answer 1

A lie is often repeated over and over and over and over. Sometimes a lie goes on forever.

Expressing the meaning in a joking way gets people's attention and gets them thinking about its meaning.