What is the meaning of this quote by Terry Pratchett?
Give a man a fire and he's warm for the day. But set fire to him and
he's warm for the rest of his life.
I think I understand the first sentence. It says that if you give somebody e.g. a torch or help set a fire with a limited quantity of wood, it will burn only for a couple of hours and then it's done.
But what does "set fire to him" mean exactly?
Best Answer
This is a classic example of "morbid humor".
"Set fire to X" means "cause X to start burning". So, if you set fire to a man, you are burning him, and he will most likely die in very short order.
It's a play on the old saying "give a man a fish and you've fed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you've fed him for the rest of his life."