Mr E Man: "I was really enjoying that show I was watching before we went out"
Me: "Oh, it was a show? I thought it was a movie"
Mr E Man: "Yeah, it was a movie"
Me: "Oh right, I keep forgetting that you guys [movie industry people] call movies shows. It's very confusing sometimes"
Mr E Man (in his best fake-patronising voice): "Well, you've only known me eight years. Maybe in another decade or so you'll stop being confused"
Me: "Well you must get confused sometimes too! Like, like, when I say genome when I mean exome!"
Mr E Man: "I'm never confused. I always know exactly what you mean"
Me: "What's an exome, then?"
Mr E Man (confidently, without a hint of hesitation): "It's the part of the genome that's outside the nucleus"
Me: "..."
Me: "That was such a great answer that I almost want to tell you it's true"
Confidence, kids! That's the secret to successful bullshitting!
Very cute! You've got him well trained.
ReplyDeleteI do my best!
ReplyDeleteI think they are looking for a high-level administrator at my institution... I am sure they can make him a competitive offer. We only want the best, when it comes to bs.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I'll let him know :)
ReplyDeleteLike one of my old prof's said:
ReplyDeleteIf you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bullshit.
Part of that means delivering the bullshit in as confident a manner as you are able.
I would have believed him!
ReplyDeleteThomas, absolutely. I've yet to master that trick, but maybe Mr E Man will teach me!
ReplyDeleteNina, plausibility is another key ingredient! It really was an outstandingly good guess!
My friend's husband went along with her to a meeting once. He went to the poster session and pretended he was an ecologist. I guess he had picked up enough from my friend that he was pretty convincing, even though he said he was in a somewhat different subfield from her. For some reason, this irritated me more than it made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, my parents call movies "shows", especially when they go to a cinema.
Woods or bush?
ReplyDeleteCar or auto?
Always speak with the utmost confidance. If you get caught you can always apologize later after you've made a complete fool of yourself.
Dave
www.dmmcgowan.blogspot.com
Um. What is an exome? The genome of an extinct species (it is an exome. It has ceased to be).
ReplyDeleteD.M. McGowan - Tiger or junior :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely car or maybe bike?
viv
Eco, well, I found that amusing (sorry!). I guess none of us like to think that the hard-won knowledge we've accumulated over many years can be mimicked so easily!
ReplyDeleteYou can tel your parents that they're using the insider lingo :)
Dave, yeah, it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission...
Bob, I like that one too. It has shuffled off this mortal coil, or rather helix...
KK, definitely bike!