“He is a boil on the butt of humanity.”
Why it's great
It insults someone with one gross, precise image, which makes the anger vivid and comic.
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Informal
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That neighbor is a boil on the butt of this street.
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Annelle Isn't Sure She's Married, Explained
Steel Magnolias · 1989
Chapter 6 of 16 · 5'03"
Annelle is a nervous new hire with no family and no past she'll discuss. Pressed about her husband, she admits, "I'm not sure if I'm married or not," and the women's shock gives way to pity: her husband vanished with everything and may never have been legal at all.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:53–2:34
The Rant About M'Lynn's Husband
42s
Annelle Isn't Sure She's Married, explained
What happens
At Truvy's shop, a brusque older customer cross-examines Annelle, the young new stylist, about where she is from and whether she has a husband. Annelle dodges, then breaks down: her husband Bunky vanished last week with her money and car, the police keep questioning her, and she isn't even sure their marriage is legal.
What's really going on
For a comedy, this scene turns on something genuinely painful. Annelle has been passing as an ordinary new girl, and the interrogation strips that away: "I'm not sure if I'm married or not" lands as both an absurd line and a confession of how little she controls her own life. The women's cruelty is real — they push and pry — but so is their reflex to close ranks. Truvy's answer to the story is not judgment but a job, already given, and an invitation to the afternoon's cake. Annelle's plea, that her personal tragedy will not interfere with her ability to do good hair, is the film's whole bargain in one sentence: keep going, keep the surface up, and take the small kindness offered.
Key lines & what they mean
- “He is a boil on the butt of humanity.”
- A deliberately gross insult aimed at a husband the speaker cannot stand, funny for how far it goes.
- “They will ruin your life, mark my words.”
- A grim warning to Annelle, generalizing her runaway husband into every man.
- “But, Miss Truvy, I swear to you, my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair.”
- Annelle's plea to keep her job: her private disaster will stay private if it means she can work.
- “This is it. I've found it. I am in hell.”
- A comic arrival line, announcing that the speaker has reached the shop she has been dreading.
Theme
- Secrets — Annelle's hidden marriage and vanished husband surface under the women's questioning, changing how the shop sees her.
- Friendship — Even as they pry, the women cushion the blow with a job, jokes and an invitation to the afternoon's cake.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level4/8
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“They will ruin your life, mark my words.”
Why it's great
A warning with a prophecy in it carries care and bitterness at the same time.
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Informal
Use it yourself
That shortcut will cost you, mark my words.
“But, Miss Truvy, I swear to you, my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair.”
Why it's great
It separates a wrecked private life from a real skill, which is both funny and dignified.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
My personal life will not interfere with my ability to deliver.
“This is it. I've found it. I am in hell.”
Why it's great
Three short sentences turn a breakdown into a discovery, almost funny in its despair.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
This is it. I've found it. I am in a meeting that never ends.
Up next · 07call a truceThe scene: The Best Cherry Coke EverTakeaways
What you walk away with- A nosy question can force an honest confession.
- Annelle's skill is the one thing she can promise.
- Ouiser warns about men from her own disappointment.
- The women end the gossip by offering cake.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy is Annelle so evasive about her husband?
She does not know where Bunky is, whether their marriage is legal, or what he has done; she is afraid the truth will cost her the job.
Was Annelle actually married to Bunky?
She believed so, but Bunky vanished and the police told her the marriage may not be legal, so she cannot be certain of her own status.
Who is Bunky?
Annelle's husband, a man who took all her money, jewelry and car, then disappeared last week; the police keep questioning her and he is in trouble with the law.
Why do the women invite Annelle to drop by in the afternoon?
After her confession they soften: they tell her to come by for the armadillo groom's cake, a small way of welcoming her in.
Does Truvy still want Annelle to work for her?
Yes. Truvy barely hesitates; she accepts Annelle's promise that her troubles will not affect her work and keeps her on.