A folded blue paper crane resting in an open brass cash tray against a deep green background.

Original artwork, not a still

Oscar Wilde

Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Here, promises to do better are compared to writing cheques on an account you never opened. They look official and feel satisfying to sign, but nothing backs them up. It's a dry joke about how easy it is to announce good intentions and how empty they can be.

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