One of These Days

What a fine mess

Prompt: "Fine Mess"
Oliver Hardy often said to Stan Laurel in several Laurel and Hardy films, "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into." What is your definition of a fine mess and what kind of images does the word mess bring into your mind?

Fine mess always felt like "helluva mess" to me. A nice hint of sarcasm. Especially in movies where it always felt like this "fine mess" was what the adventure of the movie was based on. Now it begins. I feel like it works in real life too. Fine always kind of implied "now this is a real specimen of a mess", "a good example of a mess" instead of a regular mess that you had to deal one. One that meant there wouldn't really be an easy solution or quick clean up of said mess.

I've seen people be called a fine mess too, implying that it's going to be a lot of work to clean them up (hair and clothes, make-up if necessary). Something I often call myself (aside from a swamp witch). Along with being a hot mess (probably my favorite tbh).


In general, I always felt like it was a lighthearted way of describing something..or someone, can be some work without being mean or rude about it and make the person or persons not feel as bad. Or, like me, using it for themselves. I like that using a fine mess (or hot mess) has a nice flexible connotation as well, meaning maybe a metaphorical connotation instead of a literal one. One of my favorite things about the English language (and the pity I have for those trying to learn our language) is how flexible it can be.