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?