LOL! I actually used that line in law school once (not the “fodder” part). I don’t remember the details, but it had to do with someone marching over to someone else to do them harm, but then something being said by the would-be victim that was so shocking it would change the would-be perp’s intent. On the spur of the moment, that’s what I came up with. The class erupted in laughter, but the professor was not amused. :)
I did this in grade school.
My punishment; uh, failure to communicate, lesson was to place my nose in a very small circle on the blackboard for, what it seemed to me at the time; ETERNITY!
I suppose these days my mom could have sued the teacher/principal/school/school board/state and probably Obama, too, for Cruel and Unusual punishment.