The Outlaw Josey Wales Quotes

Context

This line is spoken by Josey Wales (played by Clint Eastwood) in the film The Outlaw Josey Wales, directed by Clint Eastwood (1976).

Josey Wales is an outlaw in the American West, which means he can't even sit at a table in a saloon. Instead, he has to lurk in the shadows. So when a man enters the saloon looking for him, Wales speaks up from his dark corner of the room. He asks if the newcomer is a bounty hunter, and the man responds, "A man's gotta do something for a living these days." Wales cleverly retorts, "Dyin' ain't much of a living, boy," meaning that this unlucky bounty hunter is about to be the hunted… and his blood will need to be mopped up with a couple rolls of Bounty paper towels. (Okay, we might've gotten carried away there at the end.)

Where you've heard it

You've heard this if someone you know has taken on a very dangerous job, like bounty hunter, high school substitute teacher, or personal assistant to a celebrity.

Additional Notable References: 

• The video game Fallout: New Vegas has a challenge called "Dyin' ain't much of a living."
• Bon Jovi, when he's not wanted dead or alive, sings "Dyin' Ain't Much of a Livin.'"

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

This is good advice, even if you're not on the run from the law in the wild, wild west.