"Well, it's a mess ..."

Buzz phrase du jour seems to be Tommy Lee Jones' in No Country for Old Men.

Indeed, I read it on the 'Net, then I went to a party and an American came out with it (to great applause), and now I see that even the erudite Jon Quitslund spouts it in his guest column for the ever-readable Rachel Pritchett back in my beloved Kitsap county.

BUT - this looks like turning into one of those great misquoted quotes.

The line is NOT spoken by Tommy Lee Jones, that “If this ain’t the mess, it’ll do until the mess gets here.”

The deputy on his horse asks, "Well, it's a mess, ain't it sheriff?" and TLJ quips, "If it ain't, it'll do until a mess gets here."

I am pleased to clear that up, and now you can.