# Oh why must you make it so hard to take your tragedy seriously. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 15, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551 "2013-07-15T12:45:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/41 "2013-07-16T08:44:35Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > I’m pretty sure the cow story is a cover up from the asbestos industry. The guy died of mesothelioma from his roof. Not the greatest cover up story, but I guess it’s asbestos they could do. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/42 "2013-07-16T12:07:19Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > The word would appear to be “cataboustrage”. I’m going to check my sources tonight. Having checked, I find the word is actually “catabustrive”. It’s an adjective, as in “the catabustrive victim’s mother was demanding bovine justice”. It has a secondary meaning of being covering in cowhide (leather). ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/43 "2013-07-16T14:26:38Z")
Dave Barry, call your office. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/44 "2013-07-16T14:57:27Z")
How many is a Brazilian? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/45 "2013-07-16T16:51:24Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > How can you people joke about such a moooooving story? That was low. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/46 "2013-07-16T16:55:17Z")
What a misteak! ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/47 "2013-07-16T17:28:31Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Is it cruel to make jokes when someone has died in such a manner? Hmm, I will have to ruminate about this. Dammit. You beat me to it. It would be-hoove me to be a little faster. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/48 "2013-07-16T17:30:35Z")
These jokes are so funny I might just calf up a lung. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/49 "2013-07-16T17:36:57Z")
Cattle be the day. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/50 "2013-07-17T10:16:11Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > How can you people joke about such a moooooving story? You’re right. We should display more sympathy for our fellow man in the face of such a tragedy. Let us remember the words of John Donne: “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the cowbell tolls; it tolls for thee.” ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/51 "2013-07-17T11:17:19Z")
Well, at least the deceased has moved on to greener pastures. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/52 "2013-07-17T15:17:38Z")
Threads of this quality are rare. Or maybe medium rare. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/53 "2013-07-17T15:34:44Z")
Indeed. Well done, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/54 "2013-07-17T15:38:11Z")
Some memories will be tough for the mom, like when he was young and she would tan his hide. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/55 "2013-07-17T15:41:55Z")
Have you people no shame? Do your Mothers know that you do this? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/56 "2013-07-17T15:45:22Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Cow crashes through roof, kills sleeping Brazilian \*Nap Nap. Who’s there? Interrupting cow.\* ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/57 "2013-07-17T16:21:07Z")
So, the next night, the mother is putting to bed her remaining children with a nursery rhyme: "Hey diddle diddle, The cat with the fiddle, and the … " ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/58 "2013-07-17T17:28:26Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Speaking of which, in the spirit of words like defenestration, there should be a word meaning “fallen on by cow” to simply these matters. Bovine intervention. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/59 "2013-07-17T18:18:45Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > \ ***“Cow fall”** > > This is the end > Hold your breath and count to ten > Feel the earth move and then > Hear my heart burst again > > For this is the end > I’ve drowned and dreamt this moment > So overdue I owe them > Swept away, I’m stolen > > Let the cow fall > When it crumbles > We will stand tall > Face it all together > > Let the cow fall > When it crumbles > We will stand tall > Face it all together > At cow fall > That cow fall…\* Needs more cowbell. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551/60 "2013-07-17T18:29:21Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Bovine intervention. au just [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-why-must-you-make-it-so-hard-to-take-your-tragedy-seriously/663551.md?page=4)