The "politeness will get you a long way" lie

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Specter
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24 Apr 2008, 1:38 pm

slowmutant wrote:

Funny thing about "ret*d" as an insult is that it's a completely accurate.

hmm, I'm a genius, but I think very slowly on some subjects that I'm the best in. So I'm ret*d? :D

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slowmutant
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24 Apr 2008, 1:47 pm

It began as a simple English verb with noun & adjective forms.

flame-retardant material (firemen turnouts)
ret*ds (stunts) the growth process
ret*d the process of ageing

In a few generations, a totally neutral English word could become the next playground insult. Living languages, especially those as vibrant as English, are like that.

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24 Apr 2008, 2:17 pm

slowmutant wrote:

You misunderstand the metaphor. It's "Carrot On a Stick," not "Carrot & Stick."

...

And that is the metaphor you were thinking of.

Nope, Icheb was right. Carrot and Stick is a well known phrase to express the mix of diplomacy and aggression. Usually while denoting the proportion of these, in that instance.

Specter
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24 Apr 2008, 2:58 pm

I just try to be polite, and it seems to be okay for me. :D

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spindriftdancer
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24 Apr 2008, 3:14 pm

Specter wrote:

slowmutant wrote:

Funny thing about "ret*d" as an insult is that it's a completely accurate.

hmm, I'm a genius, but I think very slowly on some subjects that I'm the best in. So I'm ret*d?

It's possible to be both gifted and LD (learning disabled).

Specter
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24 Apr 2008, 3:15 pm

Like a savant.

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Icheb
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24 Apr 2008, 3:18 pm

Hey Specter, why did you pick the Matrix quote as a signature? Does it have any special meaning for you?

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Specter
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24 Apr 2008, 3:20 pm

don't get me started. :D

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Specter
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24 Apr 2008, 3:21 pm

I take it to mean that whenever I need to deal with something that is particularly hard or painful or distressing, I remind myself that there's a chance that it might not even exist in the first place. this comforts me somehow. :S

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Icheb
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24 Apr 2008, 3:23 pm

Yeah, I figured it was something like that. There are scientists who seriously claim the world is a computer-generated simulation.

mojo123
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24 Apr 2008, 3:23 pm

slowmutant wrote:

Damn, what was the quaint saying about honey and vinegar? Damn ...

You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

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24 Apr 2008, 3:46 pm

who wants to catch flies?

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slowmutant
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24 Apr 2008, 4:04 pm

Quote:

Nope, Icheb was right. Carrot and Stick is a well known phrase to express the mix of diplomacy and aggression. Usually while denoting the proportion of these, in that instance.

Evidently there are variations of this metaphor. At least two.

Hmmmmmm. :chin:

slowmutant
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24 Apr 2008, 4:06 pm

Specter wrote:

who wants to catch flies?

It's a metaphor for getting along with your fellow human beings. Using honey means being nice, and using vinegar means being a jerk.

Specter
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24 Apr 2008, 4:07 pm

wait, so we're the flies?

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slowmutant
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24 Apr 2008, 4:12 pm

Yes, but the "catching" part is not literal. "Catching flies" means having a mutally positive effect on other people in your dealings with them. No actual use of honey. No actual use of vinegar, etheir. These two items represent sweetness of disposition and bitterness of disposition.

That should suffice for the extended explanation.

But it prob'ly won't. >_<

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