“Hochschild’s biggest mistake, though, was one made by almost every popularized housework study: not adequately measuring men’s contribution to work around the home. For example, if mom drives the children to daycare, it’s called housework; if dad drives the family to grandma’s, it isn’t called housework.”

“I think housework is far more tiring and frightening than hunting is, no comparison, and yet after hunting we had eggs for tea and were made to rest for hours, but after housework people expect one to go on just as if nothing special had happened.”

“Housework can kill you if done right.”

“Housework, if it is done properly, can cause brain damage.”

“If you are a writer you locate yourself behind a wall of silence and no matter what you are doing, driving a car or walking or doing housework — you can still be writing, because you have that space.”

“I love it when my justifications for avoiding housework are actually legitimate.”

“Housework is a treadmill from futility to oblivion with stop-offs at tedium and counter productivity.”

“Growing up, I have discovered over time, is rather like housework: never finished.”

“On every level of life, from housework to heights of prayer, in all judgment and efforts to get things done, hurry and impatience are sure marks of the amateur.”

“There was no need to do any housework at all. After four years the dirt doesn’t get any worse.”