Luke, we've got to set your quote right!

[Will_Repair]

I can forgive Transit TV, I can even forgive Terry Prachett, but not Philip Zibardo in a pseudo scholarly work The Lucifer Effect, twice.

For the record, the correct quote is:
“What we have here is failure to communicate.”

Not “a failure”.
The entire meaning of the quote is changed, for the worse (except when Luke adds the ‘a’ in the next to final scene.)
If you want to add an extra ‘a’ to a quote add it to Neil Armstrong’s statement where its inclusion would make sense.
The title of this thread is fair use not false use.
…

[lieu]

Any man that misquotes spends a night in the box.

[Matt_Holck]

as long as I’m not
baked in the hot sun 'til I dye of dehydration

[minlokwat]

@Will Repair

The entire meaning of the quote is changed, …

How?

Adding the “a” would suggest one solitary instance whereas without it, it suggests an overall, well, “failure to communicate”.

But the entire meaning is changed? Color me:

[Liberal]

“I stand by all the misstatements that I’ve made.” — GW Bush

[JohnT]

We just did Cool Hand Luke as part of our monthly film discussion group.

To be honest… there wasn’t much to discuss about it. We got about 1/2 hour of talk about this film - and that’s stretching it.

[An_Arky]

I can eat 50 eggs.

[lieu]

Nobody can eat 50 eggs.

[neorxnawange]

umm -

Isn’t it:

“What we **got ** here is failure to communicte.”

?

[CalMeacham]

Except when Strother Martin guest hosted on Saturday Night Live, running the French language camp. Then the line was:
“What we have he’ah is failure to communicate bilingually!”

[An_Arky]

@lieu

Nobody can eat 50 eggs.

Ah, Terence Hill, nee Mario Girotti…those movies were hilarious!

[cochrane]

@neorxnawange

umm -

Isn’t it:

“What we **got ** here is failure to communicte.”

?

Yes it is. Or as I hear it, “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.”

[muldoonthief]

@cochrane

Yes it is. Or as I hear it, “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.”

Here’s the scene on youtube. I hear, “What we’ve got here is… failure to c’mmunicate.”

[Morbo]

Callin’ it your job don’t make it right, boss.

[cochrane]

@muldoonthief

Here’s the scene on youtube. I hear, “What we’ve got here is… failure to c’mmunicate.”

Well, the point is Strother Martin’s quote wasn’t grammatically correct as in, “What we have here is…”

His soliloquy also precedes the Guns 'N Roses song Civil War on the album Use Your Illusion II.

[Terminus_Est]

@Will Repair

If you want to add an extra ‘a’ to a quote add it to Neil Armstrong’s statement where its inclusion would make sense.

No need to add anything. Armstrong really did say “one small step for a man”.

[Duke_of_Rat]

Takin’ it off here, boss.

[panache45]

@Matt Holck

as long as I’m not
baked in the hot sun 'til I dye of dehydration

What color?

[Matt_Holck]

gray

[Will_Repair]

@muldoonthief

Here’s the scene on youtube. I hear, “What we’ve got here is… failure to c’mmunicate.”

:smack: