Your quote would seem to support the idea you object to. &quot;I&#x27;m no Henry Fonda&quot; explicitly draws a comparison between yourself and Henry Fonda, and this kind of rhetorical device is often used to suggest things that the bounds of propriety forbid you from saying outright.<p>Imagine two political rivals campaigning against each other, Mr. Lowbrow and Mr. Classy. Mr. Lowbrow releases campaign literature to the effect that Mr. Classy is a pussy. Mr. Classy responds &quot;a less courteous person might observe that my esteemed opponent washed out of seventh grade... but I won&#x27;t. This race is about the issues.&quot;<p>The particular rhetoric Mr. Classy is using there doesn&#x27;t mean it makes sense to defend him against charges that he called Mr. Lowbrow stupid. (Hey, he specifically said he wasn&#x27;t doing that!)