Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT

Jeph's streaming the comic again.

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snubnose:

--- Quote from: jmucchiello on 20 May 2012, 19:48 ---Yeah, so? Most languages have ambiguous constructs. If you want to pick on English start with "can't". "You can't drink too much water each day." Is that an warning against drinking excessive amounts of water or is it a statement implying no amount of daily water intake is unhealthy?

--- End quote ---
Just for the record: you CAN drink too much water, and it isnt even that much: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

jmucchiello:

--- Quote from: snubnose on 21 May 2012, 01:28 ---
--- Quote from: jmucchiello on 20 May 2012, 19:48 ---Yeah, so? Most languages have ambiguous constructs. If you want to pick on English start with "can't". "You can't drink too much water each day." Is that an warning against drinking excessive amounts of water or is it a statement implying no amount of daily water intake is unhealthy?

--- End quote ---
Just for the record: you CAN drink too much water, and it isnt even that much: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

--- End quote ---
I know that. The point is that when you tell someone this fact you can say "You can drink too much water, so be careful." or you can say "You can't drink too much water, so be careful." And both sentences mean exactly the same thing. Even though one is syntactically the negation of the other.

Barmymoo:
Well really, the second one (with that meaning) is just wrong. It should be "you should not drink too much water". The only correct meaning of "you can't drink too much water" is actually untrue. But I see your point - language in its actual usage is indeed weird.

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