At 07:40 AM 8/16/2002 +0100, Mike Scott wrote: >Steven Brust <skzb at dreamcafe.com> writes: > > > No insult intended, but, nonsense. It is *easy* to be vague. We have > > no trouble being vague. "Thing." "Stuff." "Kind of." "Tends > > toward." "Sort of." The challenge lies in precision. We do not have > > to make changes in English because the language is crying out for ways > > in which we can be less precise. The argument that one requires dull > > tools as well as sharp ones in the kitchen is not sufficient > > explanation for why you took the edge off my chef's knife. > >You certainly need sharp knives to be available. But shall I come and >put a razor edge on your butter knife? No one is suggesting you do so. I like butter knives as they are, that's why I have them. And I have as many as I want; there is no need to turn my Chef's knife into another one.