# What Does This Sentence Mean/ **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 7, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954 "2004-10-07T00:54:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MMI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@MMI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MMI)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954/21 "2004-10-07T19:56:41Z")
There was once a Saturday Night Live sketch about this - one of the characters would make ambiguous statements. The key one being “You can never have too much coolant in a nuclear reactor” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954/22 "2004-10-07T19:57:26Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > A TV advertisement for a well know nostrum says: > > **"Nothing is better that XYZ"** > > 1. Does this mean that XYZ isn’t worth a flip? > or > 2. Does it mean that XYZ is the best there is? > > Explain your answer. Here’s the Straight Dope: Since this is advertising, what it means is quite precise: _XYZ is equally as good as anything else._ You are not saying that XYZ is the best, because then you’d need to be able to back it up with facts and figures or you’d be fined for false advertising\*. However, the FTC allows you to say “Nothing works better,” since that is merely saying “It works no better or no worse than anything else.” You are not making any exceptional claim for the product. \*One exception – Hellmann’s Mayonnaise – is a factual claim: Hellmann’s Mayo is the same as Best Foods Mayo, so their slogan “Bring out the Hellmann’s and bring out the Best” is mearly claiming you are bringing out Best Foods Mayo, not the best mayo. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954/23 "2004-10-07T20:10:41Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve often mused phrases like, “She’s dancing like she’s never danced before.” At least two possible meanings: You seem to be interpreting that as “She’s dancing as if this is her first time ever dancing.”, which would probably not be very good. On the other hand, you could interpret it as “She’s danced before, but never like this”, which would imply that the current dancing is extraordinary. This, I think, is the standard meaning. Of course, even there it could imply “extraordinarily good” or “extraordinarily bad”, but I think the former is usually intended. ---
**Author:** ![olpeculiar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@olpeculiar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olpeculiar)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954/24 "2004-10-07T21:17:44Z")
Yup - as I said, of course it is intended as a compliment. But it’s more fun to turn it around on the user. ---
**Author:** ![jhinman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jhinman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jhinman)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954/25 "2004-10-07T21:33:10Z")
[QUOTE=CookingWithGas] A ham sandwich is better than nothing. Nothing is better than perfect happiness. Therefore a ham sandwich is better than perfect happiness. [QUOTE] Mmmmmmm, ham sandwitch Sorry just finshed reading the Simposn qoute thread. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954/26 "2004-10-07T22:48:59Z")
> [@VernWinterbottom](#): > > However if you claim “MyBrand is better than TheirBrand,” you need documentation to back up that claim of superiority. “MyBrand has been proven better than Brand X in a taste-test.” (given to twelve hired geeks in marketing) Seriously, now, how much proof do you really need to make claims in advertisements? Do your taste-tests or the like need to be replicatable, and are there any possible repercussions if someone else decides to replicate them and gets different answers? Advertising is simply the logical extremity of ‘not lying’, no matter who or what is being advertised. After all, from everything I understand, a statement like “Our CEO has never been convicted of rape” (but the other company’s CEO has) is perfectly legal. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954/27 "2004-10-08T01:34:50Z")
> [@MMI](#): > > There was once a Saturday Night Live sketch about this - one of the characters would make ambiguous statements. The key one being “You can never have too much coolant in a nuclear reactor” [geeky tangent] Actually, that statement is false (and the spirit of the statement is false too). In fact, a Cold Water Accident is one of the most feared incidents at a typical pressurized water reactor plant. They are designed so that small changes in coolant temperature automatically cause the reaction rate to change in a stablizing direction. If the coolent gets cooler (from more steam being used), the reaction heats up; if the coolant starts getting hot (after the load was removed), the reaction slows down. Because of this, if significantly cooler coolant (not necessarily cold, but less hot) is introduced into the reactor, the reaction rate can skyrocket, with nasty consequences. This is possible when the isolation valves to an idle coolant loop are opened at power (a prohibited activity). [/geeky tangent] ---
**Author:** ![Spiratu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Spiratu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiratu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954/28 "2004-10-08T03:54:03Z")
In the same vein as this thread, there’s this [this](http://www.ma.huji.ac.il/~hart/humor/recom.html) classic “letter of recommendation” which can easily be read as higly complimentary or quite bad, depending on how you look at it. Hopefully it’s not long enough that I’ll get in trouble for the direct quote: > [@](#): > > You write to ask me for my opinion of X, who has applied for a position in your department. I cannot recommend him too highly nor say enough good things about him. There is no other student of mine with whom I can adequately compare him. His thesis is the sort of work you don’t expect to see nowadays and in it he has clearly demonstrated his complete capabilities. The amount of material he knows will surprise you. You will indeed be fortunate if you can get him to work for you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-sentence-mean/267954.md?page=1)