Birdhouse in your news coverage
Ok, so me and my girlfriend were talking last night
And wow, surprise surprise, the war came up.
Well, I should say the SUPERIOR anchor-led coverage came up.
So, my gf goes: you know what? I heard Peter Jennings say that phrase
from the They Might Be Giants song.
The particular phrase is: Not to put too fine a point on it (and it comes from the song "Birdhouse in your soul", They Might Be Giants' FLOOD (1992) ).
ok, so she tells me wow, I was so surprised to hear him say that, so I was like how did he use it?
She said that Jennings said:
Not to put too fine a point on it, but what the hell is going on there?
Which we found out is some kind of Anglo-Saxon idiom which means not to be too precise. It is used primarily in the UK/Australia and other more formal English speaking countries.
It is usually used when you are explaining something and you don't want your listener to get bogged in the details so as to miss your overall message.
Example:
Not to put too fine a point on it, but what is the point of this news coverage where so little NEW information is exchanged (and the same bombing videos are shown repeatably like some late 1970s porn loop--- so that people can get their ooh ahh jollies)
side note: let's get beyond who that is in the video ... so that's where our donated glasses go? :)
Comments
was there any particular reason that you drank
Little, Blue, Different
I mean, is there a reason why you need blood flow when you should be at work? ;)
Posted by: moloch's blog mgmt. | March 21, 2003 4:40 PM
in the immortal words of Socrates: "I drank what?"
Posted by: Blue Pill | March 21, 2003 4:36 PM
thank you, Gullible Girl or are you going by your new useless superpower identity -- Implausible Excuses Woman ;)
no, actually Gullible Girl's secret identity is that of a bookish, dramaturge English major
- the Sinister Dr. Self-Conscious
Posted by: mephisto's blog management company | March 21, 2003 4:32 PM
and too true, too
Posted by: mer4ie | March 21, 2003 4:25 PM
too, too, too, braddah w*
Posted by: mer4ie | March 21, 2003 4:24 PM