On the Importance of Grammar: "Fuck My Life" Post Illustrates Vocabulary Lesson from Strunk & White
From fMyLife.com:
Today, my friend told me that semen was inflammable. Later at night I jacked off into a sock and then, excitedly, tried to lit the sock on fire. Turns out, semen is very much not inflammable. Naked, I shook my sock in the air so it would extinguish while my semen splashed out all over my room. FML
Please see page 41 of the second edition of Strunk and White's Elements of Style:
Flammable. An oddity, chiefly useful in saving lives. The common word meaning "combustible" is inflammable. But some people are thrown off by the in- and think inflammable means "not combustible." For this reason, trucks carrying gasoline or explosives are now marked FLAMMABLE. Unless you are operating such a truck and hence are concerned with the safety of children and illiterates, use inflammable.
Even when not piloting a truck-load of semen, one should be concerned with the safety of children and illiterates; they are, after all, our Future.
BONUS NOTE: On the following page, Strunk and White note that "gullible" is not in the dictionary, but is written on the ceiling.
Comments
I'm guessing that post was a troll gaming for as many "you deserved that one" votes as possible.
Posted by: Alecks | June 29, 2009 04:06 PM
"Strunk and White note that "gullible" is not in the dictionary, but is written on the ceiling."
Goddamn it! I now have this uncontrollable urge to look at the ceiling. Just for a second. It could be there.... I mean, when's the last time I REALLY looked at the ceiling, ya know? :-)
Posted by: milt | June 29, 2009 06:05 PM