# Don't worry its INFLAMABLE **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892 "2003-11-18T13:35:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SummersSon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@SummersSon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SummersSon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/1 "2003-11-18T13:35:43Z")
yah, so basically Doctor Nick (from the Simpsons) is operating on a patient, when something burning flys through the windows, landing next to a cylinder of gas. and Nick say “Dont worry, its inflamable”, next thing the whole building explodes… and i think … dumbass, Inflamable mean it does burn but i think again … aint he right there? Indistinguishable means u cant tell it apart from somthing Indefinable means u cant define it so basically In means “not” whatever means whatever we are talking about Able means “able” So why did doctor Nicks hospital get burned to the ground??? Or is this worth of a great debate? ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/2 "2003-11-18T13:37:24Z")
I think it’s a joke. You know, like most things on “The Simpsons”. ---
**Author:** ![puggyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@puggyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puggyfish)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/3 "2003-11-18T13:41:17Z")
See [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=185823](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=185823) ---
**Author:** ![SummersSon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@SummersSon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SummersSon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/4 "2003-11-18T13:41:42Z")
u mean “inflamable” really does mean “un burnable”? i could have sworn i’ve seen it on hair sprays, etc… ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/5 "2003-11-18T13:42:21Z")
There’s an explanation at [http://www.bartleby.com/64/C003/0126.html](http://www.bartleby.com/64/C003/0126.html) Basically though, the “in” isn’t the “in” that means “not”, it’s another “in” that’s means “very”. ---
**Author:** ![SummersSon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@SummersSon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SummersSon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/6 "2003-11-18T13:43:19Z")
oh, wow, wait i just saw puggyfish’s post … its been done before… i’ll just read that one ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/7 "2003-11-18T13:43:42Z")
The prefix “in” can also be an intensifier, as in invaluable (I know it’s confusing). “Inflamable” means very flamable, “non-flamable” means not flamable. Dr. Nick doesn’t know the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/8 "2003-11-18T13:48:56Z")
_Inflammable_ is one of those words (sometimes called “Janus words”) that can carry opposite meanings, like _cleave, dust,_ and _ravel_. Its original primary meaning was "capable of burning easily,’ but (IIRC) because of the confusion caused by people seeing the prefix “in” to mean “not,” the word “flammable” was created for clarity. The _Simpsons_ writers took advantage of the double meaning. It’s a joke, son. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/9 "2003-11-18T13:51:05Z")
> [@](#): > > and i think … dumbass, Inflamable mean it does burn What an inflammatory statement! ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/10 "2003-11-18T14:03:17Z")
IIRC Doctor Nick comments on the craziness of inflammable = flammable later that same episode ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/11 "2003-11-18T14:14:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by h.sapiens \* > \*\*The prefix “in” can also be an intensifier, as in invaluable (I know it’s confusing). “Inflamable” means very flamable, “non-flamable” means not flamable. > > Dr. Nick doesn’t know the difference. \*\* Why your example works to an extent, the “in” in invaluable (how’s that for a triple in?) can also mean “not” - as in it is impossible to value it. The same meaning as priceless. ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/12 "2003-11-18T16:35:12Z")
I think it’s probably from the fact that the word is more like inflamm-able than it is in-flammable. Flammable is a contrived word, created because of the confusion associated with inflammable, as stated above. So it doesn’t make sense for the word inflammable to have been created to mean “not flammable” when the word flammable didn’t exist yet! I think of it as “able to be inflamed,” thus “inflamm-able.” Inflame is a word unto itself, and adding “-able” makes it inflammable. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-worry-its-inflamable/213892/13 "2003-11-18T17:59:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SummersSon \* > \*\*u mean “inflamable” really does mean “un burnable”? > > i could have sworn i’ve seen it on hair sprays, etc… \*\* Probably because hairsprays are generally quite flammable.