Beware Exploding Lighters!

[sittingbear]

Whatever. No one has to like what I wrote or how I wrote it.

 

[Egg Shen]

I work in the local emergency room. Yesterday, an elderly patient came in by ambulance after they had suffered severe burns to their face, neck, and ears. Their hair was singed and black, crispy ashes were falling onto the pillow. The entire room smelled like burnt hair and the patient was in tremendous pain. It turns out, this patient was lighting their tobacco pipe when their lighter exploded catching their shirt on fire (that it was tobacco and not something else was verified by the EMS team). They ran to the bathroom to extinguish themselves before calling 911. They were subsequently transferred to a level one trauma center.

I may switch to using matches exclusively.....

I had one spontaneously combust and it hadn’t even been used recently. It was a low cost disposable bic-like but a cheaper see-thru type. Never seen anything like that happen ever but the 1 time. It left this permanent scorch mark on my cherrywood table

 

[woodsroad]

Exploding Lighters in the News

 

[ashdigger]

 

[ThermionicScott]

Traditionally, with grammar, pronouns need to agree in number. "An elderly patient" is singular, so using "they" does not agree in number—it should typically be "he" or "she"—however, these days, gender fluidity and such appears to be bending the rules where usage of "they" is now acceptable when referring to one person. Language is constantly evolving and rules change.

Usage of “they/them” as a nonspecific singular pronoun dates back centuries. Whether or not people get triggered by it has varied over time, though.

 

[EvertonFC]

Any idea of what kind of lighter? I worked at a drop forge factory after high school & we were only allowed to have Zippos on the floor. Pressurized/butane lighters will explode if they get too hot.

This is certainly the million dollar question.

 

[lraisch]

Usage of “they/them” as a nonspecific singular pronoun dates back centuries. Whether or not people get triggered by it has varied over time, though.

I guess I didn't find the singular use of "they" all that surprising as I've used and encountered it in the past. Some quick research to see what language authorities have to say yielded this trove of information.

"The Oxford English Dictionary traces singular they back to 1375,"

"New Oxford American Dictionary (Third Edition, 2010), calls singular they ‘generally accepted’ "

I was surprised to find that singular "you" was once controversial. Apparently "thou" or "thee" was singular and George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, once wrote an entire book denouncing the use of "you" except in a plural context.

Just another example of the language evolving.

 

[Indygrap]

No, I did not get an opportunity to ask many questions as my patient (singular) said, "I don't feel much like conversation."

Fair enough. I doubt I’d feel very chatty either.

 

[bullet08]

Open season for the grammar offenders. Where are my articles?

 

[jpberg]

So lighters are bad for elderlies?

 

[Ahi Ka]

I’m so confused by all the grammar talk. I’m trying to figure out if it’s just me who is stupid, or the entire NZ

 

[georged]

Traditionally, with grammar, pronouns need to agree in number. "An elderly patient" is singular, so using "they" does not agree in number—it should typically be "he" or "she"—however, these days, gender fluidity and such appears to be bending the rules where usage of "they" is now acceptable when referring to one person. Language is constantly evolving and rules change.

It is what's behind the attempted rules change that is causing people to care about it.

Saying that "language changes over time" simultaneously side-steps and dismisses the issue. Like Jeffrey Dahmer's courtroom lawyer telling the jury that what he did wasn't a crime because "people die all the time."

 

[ashdigger]

I’m Pro Noun not pronoun

 

[The Clay King]

Maybe half dan has a point when he tells us about lighting his clay pipe with a flaming sheep turd from a blacksmith forge or something like that!

@condorlover1 You're correct but no flaming sheep turd; the blacksmith lit my clay pipe with an ember from his forge. Here's a pic of my the Redcoats & Revolutionaries blacksmith ('the pipe lighter' as Dad calls him:

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Condor moment:

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[The Clay King]

Here's a pic of my favourite lighter:

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[condorlover1]

Dan in the words of the the old Cockburns advert ....'Yes I expert you probably do'

 

[Lumbridge]

Weird how someone could take a totally benign post completely unrelated to anything sociopolitical and derail the conversation with some deranged, hate-filled ramblings... on a forum where political discussion (sans tobacco legislation) are prohibited, no less.

Well, someone sure is obsessed with others' use of gender pronouns, and it isn't the "they/them" crowd.

Gleefully setting at least one asshole here to "ignore." Hoping the mods will shut this shitshow down.

 

[tobakenist]

I've had a petrol burn from a Zippo, doe's that count ? don't put a Zippo in you jeans pocket, hurts for day's.

 

[bullet08]

It is what's behind the attempted rules change that is causing people to care about it.

Saying that "language changes over time" simultaneously side-steps and dismisses the issue. Like Jeffrey Dahmer's courtroom lawyer telling the jury that what he did wasn't a crime because "people die all the time."

He could have said "people's diet changes all the time." But I'm sure, give the option, he didn't want to be Dahmer's roommate.

 

[mingc]

We are not amused (with exploding lighters)!