h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Whenever I hear the expression "I don't need that right now" meaning "that would be counterproductive", I think it sounds wrong. To me, the implication is that what they "don't need" is merely surplus to requirements, rather than a bad thing.
Is it just me?

Depends on context.

If a process is happening. Why would you need factor X when you're only at eg stage C?

All in good time.

It depends how one *thinks* I suppose.

(You probably have a point in some instances..but you said 'whenever' like context wasn't being considered.)

It's 'litotes'. (qv)

Turn the other cheek

Oh and

'It's the taking part that counts..not the winning'

In a sporting context this is just so ridiculous.

But in life that's altogether different.

"The exception that proves the rule"

The... what now?

Keep your eyes peeled, ewww *shudder*

"The exception that proves the rule" pretty much means the opposite of what people use it to mean - which is why it sounds so nonsensical.

<'It's the taking part that counts..not the winning' ... In a sporting context this is just so ridiculous.>

It's a paraphrased version of what the founder of the Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, said at a London banquet in 1908.

His actual words were: "The important thing in life is not the victory but the contest; the essential thing is not to have won but to have fought well."

<>


French was he?

Its also important to have a medium which is sport..which is all about the winning and losing...this old fashioned Corinthian thing drives me mad..and its to do with class. If you have enough priviledge in the first place you can have the luxury of these attitudes.

My family had to drag themselves from grinding poverty. The important thing was to win.

Yeah. They all had a good laugh about it back in Paris after we adopted it as England's motto.

You wuz lucky. We 'ad to do t'pole vault wi't scrap copper pipe.

Well I'm really lucky cos I've got tickets for the olympics. I think pole vault goes on, on the day of my athletic tickets. But its the mens 4X400 meteres relay final that i absolutely can't wait for.

'I couldn't care less'
& the US version
'I could care less'

This is relatively new, so I haven't "always" thought it was wrong:

It's down to me/him/her/them

Never could figure it out. I suppose it means "It's his/her/their/my fault." So why not say so?

I thought that meant "it's (his) responsibility", as in "This has been allocated - ie marked down - to (him)"

Head over heels.

Isn't that the way we are supposed to be? '*rs* over t*t' seems to be a much better description.

PP

Yes but you wouldn't say I'm *rs over t*t in love...it wouldn't sound very Romantic

The Participation Medal.