"Is anything the matter with Mr. Snodgrass, Sir?" inquired Emily, with great anxiety.
"Nothing the matter, Ma'am," replied the stranger. "Cricket dinner–glorious party–capital songs–old port–claret–good–very good–wine, Ma'am–wine."
"It wasn't the wine," murmured Mr. Snodgrass, in a broken voice. "It was the salmon." (Somehow or other, it never is the wine, in these cases.)

In this passage from Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers, Mr. Snodgrass's insistence that his discomfort is due to the salmon, rather than the wine, humorously underscores human nature's tendency to deflect blame. During an evening of excessive revelry, it is easier for Snodgrass to fault the fish than admit to overindulgence in alcohol. This deflection serves a dual purpose: it preserves his dignity and provides comedic relief. Dickens cleverly adds an aside—"(Somehow or other, it never is the wine, in these cases.)"—which accentuates the irony of the situation and pokes fun at the often hypocritical excuses people make in social settings. The scene is emblematic of Dickens' ability to blend humor with social commentary, capturing human folly with a light-hearted touch.