Frank and Ernest by Thaves for February 15, 2010

Go look it up in Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary from 1942. There is NO such word as “flammable”!!

That was before they had to make the language idiot proof so Americans in the second half of the 20th century could understand it!

Frank and Ernest can fix it in another 25 thousand years when they invent Latin. Just separate the two meanings of the prefix “in-” and eliminate the confusion.

I recommend using “un-” instead of the negative “in-“, even though that could give us “unaccurate”, “umpossible”, and “urresponsible” according to Latin spelling rules. (While they’re at it, maybe they can fix English spelling and get rid of that nasty “gh”.)

BigChief: In the Battle of the Dictionaries, Oxford English trumps Webster’s, and the OED lists “flammable” as equivalent to “inflammable” and has a citatation back to 1813. I was sure I had a pre-1942 Webster’s in the house, but it must have turned to dust.

(Good God!! I’m in agreement with Joe-Allen on something! Has Hell frozen over? Along with Atlanta?)

Current Websters Collegiate also credits orgin of word “flammable” to 1813

LOL, pschearer! You’ve had a full day and it’s not even 11am. You can go back to bed now. p.s. I’m in the Atlanta area also. Loved the snow on Friday. :-)

@BigChiefDesoto – I don’t think idiots only existed in the second half of the 20th century. There were plenty in the first half, just not as well publicized.

Yeah, lighten, but we don’t have PICTURES of them that move. :)

The comic makes a good point….Every time I see something marked “Inflammable”, I want to take a match to it to see if I understand correctly.

look it up in your “Funk & Wagnall’s” (old TV show reference) i prefer to use flammable - fewer letters than inflammable.