The last ever dolphin message was misinterpreted as a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to do a double-backwards somersault through a hoop whilst whistling the Star Spangled Banner, but in fact the message was: 'So long, and thanks for all the fish.'

— The Hitchhiker’S Guide To The Galaxy Book (Peter Jones)

dolphinsgoodbyemisinterpretationpeter jonesthe hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy book

17 seconds sound clip from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981) - Episode 3 sitcom.

You can hear this line at 00:27:18.496 in the Blu-ray version of the episode.

Quote context

[...]

- It is an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem.

- For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much: The wheel, New York, wars and on. Whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time.

- But, conversely, the dolphins believed that they were more intelligent than man, for precisely the same reasons.

- Curiously enough, the dolphins had long known of the impending demolition of Earth, and had made many attempts to alert mankind to the danger, but their communications were misinterpreted as amusing attempts to punch footballs or whistle for titbits.

- So they eventually gave up and left the Earth by their own means, shortly before the Vogans arrived.

- The last ever dolphin message was misinterpreted as a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to do a double-backwards somersault through a hoop whilst whistling the Star Spangled Banner, but in fact the message was: 'So long, and thanks for all the fish.'

- In fact, there was only one species on the planet more intelligent than dolphins.

- And they spent a lot of their time in behavioural research laboratories conducting frighteningly elegant and subtle experiments on man.

- The fact that man once again completely misinterpreted this relationship was entirely according to these creatures' plans, as Arthur Dent will shortly discover.

- Earthman, we are now deep in the heart of Magrathea.

[...]

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