Stupid Sayings

[Jeeves]

"Failure is not an acceptable option"

But then, nobody's defined "option". In my recollection, an option is not something that may happen beyond our control, but something we choose.
Yes, Oxford still thinks so:

1. A thing that is or may be chosen. 1.1 in singular The freedom or right to choose something.

The one who tells another "Failure is not an option," is in effect prohibiting the other from making that choice. If it's understood that the speaker has the power to inflict punishment, it would carry the very same message as the longer version above.
But, of course, the recipient of the injunction might still decide to fail, if the alternative were worse than whatever punishment the speaker could mete out; for instance, die trying.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

What if someone chose an option that was impossible?

 

[Jeeves]

What if someone chose an option that was impossible?

Then it wouldn't be an option; it would be a lie.
Eg:
- If you enlist now, you can train as 1. a medic, 2. a communications tech, 3. a machinist or 4. infantry trooper.
- I'll take option 2.
- No, you're going in the infantry. Gotcha!

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Then it wouldn't be an option; it would be a lie.
Eg:
- If you enlist now, you can train as 1. a medic, 2. a communications tech, 3. a machinist or 4. infantry trooper.
- I'll take option 2.
- No, you're going in the infantry. Gotcha!

I see people choosing impossible options all the time. They just fail in choosing. And your example isn't even close to what I meant.

 

[Jeeves]

They just fail in choosing. And your example isn't even close to what I meant.

Okay, then what did you mean by choosing an impossible option?
An unavailable option is impossible to choose, though one might not know this in advance. But how can an available option be impossible to choose? Surely, the only way one can fail at choosing is by not choosing?
I can see how people often choose to attempt things they can't carry out (see the frozen bodies all upside of Everest),
but those people haven't failed to choose; what they chose was the attempt. They had the option of trying to climb Everest or staying home and they chose the wrong one. Getting to the top was not an available option. The chose stupidly.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

By an impossible option I mean an option that could be chosen but would be impossible in the execution.

A. Be released from prison in ten years.
B. Be released from prison in twenty years.
C. Never be released from prison.
D. Aliens come down and carry me away tomorrow.

As you can see, D. is an impossible option, but that wouldn't stop some people, including a lot of my relatives, from chosing it.

 

[Jeeves]

By an impossible option I mean an option that could be chosen but would be impossible in the execution.

A. Be released from prison in ten years.
B. Be released from prison in twenty years.
C. Never be released from prison.

These are options that may be made available to the prisoner under specified conditions, which he could choose or pass up. The prisoner has no actual control over his release date, but can choose to trust that his jailers abide by the conditions he chooses.

D. Aliens come down and carry me away tomorrow.

Unless the aliens have been in communication with the prisoner and promised to carry out his decision, this is not an available option.
"available" was always the operative word.
In order for an option to be available, the chooser must have some basis for believing that he can do what he chooses.

As you can see, D. is an impossible option, but that wouldn't stop some people, including a lot of my relatives, from chosing it.

Nobody can choose that which is not offered. They may wish and they may dream, but the option doesn't exist.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Tell it to my cousins.

 

[Jeeves]

Can I just swat them with a dictionary?

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Can I just swat them with a dictionary?

I assume you don't actually want to contact them then? I can lead you toward them, that meaning I'll take you to where the pavement ends and point. Fare thee well.

 

[Michael 345]

Read between the lines

If you have written something on lined paper reading between the lines would be reading what you wrote

If you have written on unlined paper and it refers to the written text as lines then between the lines there is nothing to read

If (as I suspect) the phase means (reading between the words ) it means analysis the text to find hints of what the person really means but is constrained from put it in simple form and has couched in a form which enables wriggle room interpretations

 

[DaveC426913]

Read between the lines

If you have written something on lined paper reading between the lines would be reading what you wrote

If you have written on unlined paper and it refers to the written text as lines then between the lines there is nothing to read

If (as I suspect) the phase means (reading between the words ) it means analysis the text to find hints of what the person really means but is constrained from put it in simple form and has couched in a form which enables wriggle room interpretations

Reading between the lines is applied to paper without lines - it refers to the space between written lines. That is traditionally where explanatory notes and half-expressed thoughts tend to be penciled in.

 

[Michael 345]

Reading between the lines is applied to paper without lines - it refers to the space between written lines. That is traditionally where explanatory notes and half-expressed thoughts tend to be penciled in.

Most of my notes I make in the side margins

Also "read between lines" is frequently used to refer to a person's speech

ie "I heard his speech on TV, but reading between the lines I don't think he really meant it"

 

[DaveC426913]

Also "read between lines" is frequently used to refer to a person's speech
ie "I heard his speech on TV, but reading between the lines I don't think he really meant it"

Yes. That is the purpose of metaphors.

 

[Michael 345]

Yes. That is the purpose of metaphors.

Why use a metaphor when "I don't believe he meant it"

Does using a metaphor make it seem the person using it has some sort of insight and is smart?

Reading between his ears

 

[DaveC426913]

Why use a metaphor when "I don't believe he meant it"

That's not quite what it means.
'Read between the lines' means 'Here's what he means when he says that. He just didn't actually say it.'

Does using a metaphor make it seem the person using it has some sort of insight and is smart?

Does running a sprint race make the runner seem better than you?
Does painting a picture make the artist seem better than you?
Is using what one has a bad thing?

Metaphors are innate to language and thought. You cannot not use them. You just don't realize that most of the things you say are actually metaphors.

Language can get pretty dull without metaphor. Do you like dull?

 

[Michael 345]

Do you like dull?

Got nothing against it

 

[DaveC426913]

Got nothing against it

Well that would make you atypical.

According to Jan, that makes you 'without typical'. Why do you deny typical? Typical just IS.

 

[Michael 345]

Well that would make you atypical.

Atheists and now atypical

How many more A's can I score?

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Reading between the lines is applied to paper without lines - it refers to the space between written lines. That is traditionally where explanatory notes and half-expressed thoughts tend to be penciled in.

And people often double-spaced things so they could edit by writing things in between the lines. If you don't have a "smooth" document then you have to read between the lines to get the full meaning.