Dangerous words

I saw in the newspaper that Sears was having a Baby Sale. Now you know its not legal to sell the little buggers.

That's a little bit like the novel in which you read, "He spoke the unspeakable." No, no, no.....its not unspeakable once he spoke it.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I just can't stand it"? Chances are, they are standing it at the moment they are saying they can't.

My favorite is the formulation, "they should".....or one of its many variations. How do you know they should? Who decides what should be? Most likely the speaker means something isn't the way he wants it to be. That should word is dangerous.

There are lots of ways we abuse reason and language. Sometimes it results in humor. Other times it results in our upsetting ourselves.