There’s What’s Right, And There’s What’s Right, and Never the Twain Shall Meet
The way H.I. delivers the 'there's what's right' line, it sounds authentically Southern. The way H.I. delivers the 'there's what's right' line, it sounds authentically Southern. Pronunciation
thayrz wuts rahyt an NEV-er
thuh TWAYN shul MEET]
/ðɛrz wʌts raɪt ænd
ðɛrz wʌts raɪt ænd
ˈnɛvɚ ðə tweɪn ʃəl mit/
Meaning & Usage
- When moral right and legal right conflict (movie-born philosophy)
I know what’s legal-but is it right?Like he said-there’s what’s right, and there’s what’s right.Origin
The line comes from Raising Arizona (1987), written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Spoken by the narrator and ex-con H.I. McDunnough (Nicolas Cage), the quote captures the film’s blend of morality, absurdity, and homespun wisdom. The phrase twists the old English expression "never the twain shall meet," originally from Rudyard Kipling’s 1889 poem, giving it a Southern rhythm and a philosophical edge.
Though not a true Southern proverb, its tone-slow, deliberate, and moralizing-feels like something you’d hear on a porch at sunset. It’s one of those movie lines that Hollywood’s version of the South made famous: part genuine insight, part folksy exaggeration.
Verdict: Southernish. Not an authentic folk saying, but delivered with such a perfect Southern cadence that it’s often mistaken for one.
Notes
- Used when someone weighs moral conscience against law or practicality.
- Recognized primarily as a Raising Arizona quote rather than a folk saying.
- Fits a long Hollywood pattern of giving characters porch-philosopher charm.
- Sounds Southern due to rhythm, pacing, and tone-not dialect origin.
Related Pages
How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, October 24). There’s What’s Right, And There’s What’s Right, and Never the Twain Shall Meet. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/theres-whats-right-and-theres-whats-right-and-never-the-twain-shall-meet
- MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "There’s What’s Right, And There’s What’s Right, and Never the Twain Shall Meet." HillbillySlang.com, 24 Oct. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/theres-whats-right-and-theres-whats-right-and-never-the-twain-shall-meet.
- Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "There’s What’s Right, And There’s What’s Right, and Never the Twain Shall Meet." HillbillySlang.com. October 24, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/theres-whats-right-and-theres-whats-right-and-never-the-twain-shall-meet.