400 Pound Bed?
Donald Trump said that the DNC hacker might have been a “nerd sitting on his bed that weighed four hundred pounds.” You know what he meant, but that’s not what he said. The plain meaning of the phrase is that the bed weighed 400 pounds. Silly Donald!
Recently the CBC headlined “Dangerous Stories About Barbecue Brush Bristles”. Come on, CBC, you know better– the stories aren’t dangerous! Silly CBC!
Another favourite of mine: “The dogs chased the boys wagging their tails.” Interesting picture!
The simple rule if you don’t want to sound silly? If it’s written, read it critically before you release it. If it’s verbal, listen to yourself, and if you hear a blooper coming out of your mouth, have a little chuckle at your own expense and clarify yourself. You will come across as genuine and careful.
We hope these little tips are helpful to you in your enterprise, your career and your personal life. If you like what you see, feel free to pass it along, so long as you acknowledge copyright and provide a link to www.purposeful.ca.
Pease drop me an e-mail at norm@purposeful.ca (mailto:norm@purposeful.ca) or visit www.purposeful.ca for more communication tips and ideas.
Funny, that!
————————————————————
A lawyer on his deathbed told his wife to cash out half their savings and leave the money in a bag in the attic, directly above his bed, saying “I believe you can take it with you!”
After he died, the wife checked the attic. Seeing the money still there, she muttered “I told the old fool to leave it in the basement!”
What’s Your Beef?
————————————————————
Seen or heard a linguistic disaster that just makes you insane? Share it (mailto:norm@purposeful.ca?subject=What’s%20Your%20Beef%3F) with me!