sometimes a cigar is a cigar

The psychiatrist is the bailee of the coat and is responsible for the security of property brought to his office. The psychiatrist should provide a secure area for patients’ belongings. While the patient might productively examine feelings about the stolen coat, sometimes a cigar is a cigar, and the psychiatrist must deal forthrightly with the reality.

1982, Robert I. Simon, “Case 11: The Psychiatrist and the Patient Bearing Gifts”, in Psychiatric Interventions and Malpractice: A Primer for Liability Prevention, Springfield, Ill.: Charles C Thomas, →ISBN, section III (Clinical Cases Illustrating Thorny Medical-Legal Dilemmas), page 100

“All right,” I conceded, “but what about the Mexican thing? The guy was down there for years. Then all of a sudden he leaves, surfaces in L.A., and becomes a hotshot.” / “Upward mobility is no felony, and sometimes a cigar is a cigar, Dr. Freud.”

1985, Jonathan Kellerman, chapter 15, in When the Bough Breaks (Alex Delaware; 1), New York, N.Y.: Signet, published May 1986, →ISBN, page 150

“What a beautiful day, yes?” said Dr. Morales, beaming at the winterscape as if he had created it himself. “It makes you feel like a kid, no?” / “Yes,” I said. “But you couldn’t have had much weather like this in Cuba.” / “You are still at point-counterpoint, eh, Mr. Singer?” / “Just an observation,” I said, moving off down the path. “Sometimes a cigar is a cigar.”

1998, Daniel Menaker, “Part One: The Eden of Anxiety”, in The Treatment, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 12

Jill and Randi have likewise stayed together by talking a lot. “It’s really important to talk,” says Jill, “but also to have a sense of humor. You don’t need to process everything to death—sometimes a cigar is a cigar. The most important thing is to be honest with each other.”

1998, Paula Martinac, “Making It Last”, in The Lesbian and Gay Book of Love and Marriage: Creating the Stories of Our Lives (A Seth Godin Production), New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books, →ISBN, chapter 4 (“For Better or Worse, For Richer or Poorer . . .”), page 172

Millipede, the sequel to Centipede, takes the Freudian original and ramps up the challenge. As with the original, it was always one of the more popular games with women, for obvious reasons (or maybe sometimes a cigar is a cigar).

2000 October, Steve Bauman, “Atari Arcade Hits Volume II”, in Steve Bauman, editor, Computer Games Magazine, number 119, Richmond, Vt.: Strategy Plus, →ISSN, →OCLC, page C8, column 2