Instruments Make Me Laugh

[RudyH]

I'm mad as heck and I'm not gonna take it any more!

It makes me laugh when I see fountain pens referred to as "writing instruments" and tobacco pipes referred to as "smoking instruments". I'd also laugh if I saw silverware referred to as eating instruments and pillows referred to as sleeping instruments.

And another thing: Why "flavor profile" instead of just "flavor"? In tobacco reviews I often see "flavor profile" of a particular tobacco used to describe the flavor of just that one tobacco. Flavor profile is a culinary term that describes a class of similar flavors. For example, in pipe tobaccos, VaPers have a characteristic flavor profile while Elizabethan has its flavor.

 

[SBC]

I can see why you'd find this use of "instrument" pretentious. Depending on the context, I'd probably agree if I heard a guy speaking of his pipes as "smoking instruments"; but, I've never heard a guy refer to his pipes in that way. Have you? I mean, maybe somebody around here used the term in feigned pretension, for humor's sake; but, I doubt that anybody is trying to be taken seriously with that term. If he is, I'll join you in rolling my eyes.

Where I come from, "writing instrument" would not be a pretentious term for pens and pencils and whatnot. I assume that the more general term is used when the species is irrelevant.

I'm into fountain pens, and if I wanted to be pretentious about it, I'd specify "fountain pen" as distinct from just "pen." I wouldn't say "writing instrument" because that's more generic, whereas I'd want to be more specific.

As for "flavor profile," I think that term might be used because many tobaccos offer multiple flavors in varying relationships to each other. Decent pipe tobacco isn't like a lolly-pop that's just "grape" or "orange" flavored -- if it were, then sure, we'd just say "flavor." But the flavors of a decent tobacco often call for some further description. Hence "flavor profile."

 

[ashdigger]

I’d guess these items are the instruments of your frustration.

 

[shanez]

Would you prefer implements or utensils? Or perhaps devices?

 

[CallMeSangy]

I'd rather we all just call them smoking apparatuses.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

A “tool or implement” —- seems appropriate.

 

[shanez]

Hang on, I'll go get my thesaurus.

 

[mso489]

Specialized lingo always verges toward pretense. My late wife, who was an English professor steeped in literature and a gifted poet, had to take education courses to teach high school in a high school/junior college situation. With apologies to the education majors, we used to howl with laughter at the ostentatious language used in education texts to describe simple facts.

I spent years of my career translating the technical language of science into plain English. I respected the technical language, because it was often describing complex biological and chemical interactions, but it too could be excessively arcane.

As the saying goes, don't call a spade an agricultural implement.

 

[prairiedruid]

So is my 12 gauge is a personal protection utensil or instrument?

 

[anotherbob]

now we have the second bird for our stone throwing. Boy oh boy the best part of being a piper in many ways are the instruments, lighting instruments, tamping instruments, reaming instruments, smoking pipers instrument number one the pipe instrument. :P

 

[anotherbob]

So is my 12 gauge is a personal protection utensil or instrument?

depends? If you're protecting your self from humans it's instrument if you're protecting yourself against space aliens it's a utensil, if you're protecting yourself against wildlife that's gone wild it's an implement. The simple things people just can't understand is staggering These are of course all legal terms. Not as in how a lawyer would say, but in you can get fined for using the wrong ones. Well when people were arguing about everything else the freaking grammar police took over.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I only wish life were so good that I could dedicate 5 seconds per day to such trivial matters. Maybe it's the opposite, my life is so good because I ignore such trivial matters.

 

[jpberg]

What do we call the instrument of diarrhea posting, maybe Rudy?

 

[warren]

It makes me laugh when I see fountain pens referred to as "writing instruments" and tobacco pipes referred to as "smoking instruments". I'd also laugh if I saw silverware referred to as eating instruments and pillows referred to as sleeping instruments.

Just grab a good dictionary (American for you.) and your confusion with regard to meanings of certain words will be eased. Synonyms should also be studied. Once you have the various definitions and an understanding of synonyms . . . no more confusion, derisive laughter or anger.

Just remember, "Words have meaning." It's not what you think it means.

 

[Fred the Adroit]

I’d guess these items are the instruments of your frustration.

Haha. A frustration instrument. We are all just instruments of the universe, which is frustrating.

 

[Searock Fan]

I'm mad as heck and I'm not gonna take it any more!

It makes me laugh when I see fountain pens referred to as "writing instruments" and tobacco pipes referred to as "smoking instruments". I'd also laugh if I saw silverware referred to as eating instruments and pillows referred to as sleeping instruments.

And another thing: Why "flavor profile" instead of just "flavor"? In tobacco reviews I often see "flavor profile" of a particular tobacco used to describe the flavor of just that one tobacco. Flavor profile is a culinary term that describes a class of similar flavors. For example, in pipe tobaccos, VaPers have a characteristic flavor profile while Elizabethan has its flavor.

Hey man. Ya gotta learn to go with the flow. Don't let the man get to ya. Be cool and stay mellow. Ya dig?

 

[renfield]

Lighten up, Francis.

 

[Chasing Embers]

gardening instrument

 

[mso489]

Instruments? I want to see a laboratory or hear music.

 

[trudger]

Do not start a post about “artisan” anything.