Up With Which We Will Not Put

[steepholm]

TV Programme: "By cooking the squid slowly and gently, it becomes tender."

Me, blustering: What? What becomes tender by cooking squid gently? Some mythical squid-cooking creature? Jeez!

Do you recognize this kind of exchange with the telly? Have you been party to it? I'm certain that I'm not alone.

I thought I had my blustering habit under control until I was watching some David Attenborough programme with my daughter the other night. Said DA:

"Despite their solitary reputation, polar bears can be surprisingly sociable."

I heard my voice cry: "No! It's not not despite their reputation, it's because of it! If they didn't have a reputation for being solitary, their sociability wouldn't be surprising!"

My daughter laughed, and yet I wonder whether she didn't think there was something excessive in my zeal.

Do I need help?

Comments

[colorwheel]

i do it to commercials. especially the ones that offer an opportunity to "save 40% off."

[steepholm]

Shops with signs reading "Up to 60% Sale!" do my head in with their ambiguity. Depending how it's read, such a sign may promise that the lowest possible price of a sale item is 0%, 40%, 60% or 99.9%.

[colorwheel]

oh yes! the exciting possibility that an item might be 0% off! and the other ambiguity too. HUMPH.

[tree_and_leaf]

Although I think that ambiguity is deliberate, so that's a slightly different case?

[steepholm]

You may be right, but I suspect you're giving too much credit to the writers!

[thistleingrey]

If we can't keep some of the distinctions and clarity, why do we bother using verbal language to attempt communication.... I can see mixing things up in impromptu remarks (I am terrible about this, especially when tired or nervous, and much prefer writing to speaking), but David Attenborough would seem not to have that excuse!

[steepholm]

Naturally, I hold David Attenborough to higher standards than other mortals in any case.

[tree_and_leaf]

The worst of it is, I recognise that episode, I think!