-1 * -1 = .... -1?
Oct. 1st, 2004 08:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbaker"Dumb-ass" is a negative.
The opposite of "dumb-ass" is "smart-ass".
But "smart-ass" is a negative. Math /= Language.
Edited to add: Looking at it with a bit more mathematical rigor, perhaps the apparent contradiction is a result of applying a function incompletely, i.e. inverting only half the phrase ("dumb" -> "smart") when it should be applied to both halves of the phrase.
So, what's the opposite of "ass"? I nominate "elbow" (as utilized in the phrase "He doesn't know his ass from his elbow", which relatively clearly implies opposition).
Therefore, the opposite of "dumb-ass" would be "smart-elbow".
Since this phrase is nonsensical, the attempt to reconcile the contradiction by fuller application of the function is disproved.
The opposite of "dumb-ass" is "smart-ass".
But "smart-ass" is a negative. Math /= Language.
Edited to add: Looking at it with a bit more mathematical rigor, perhaps the apparent contradiction is a result of applying a function incompletely, i.e. inverting only half the phrase ("dumb" -> "smart") when it should be applied to both halves of the phrase.
So, what's the opposite of "ass"? I nominate "elbow" (as utilized in the phrase "He doesn't know his ass from his elbow", which relatively clearly implies opposition).
Therefore, the opposite of "dumb-ass" would be "smart-elbow".
Since this phrase is nonsensical, the attempt to reconcile the contradiction by fuller application of the function is disproved.
