101 and counting: non sequitur
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010Good news! Bloody Well Write just passed 100 posts (this is No. 101) and is going stronger than ever — thanks to all you grammar-hungry readers. So kudos go to you and yours; I’m very lucky to be able to write for a growing audience and hope that each of you feels welcome to comment on any and all posts. Conversation is good!
Here’s something that has nothing to do with the 100-post comment: non sequitur. It is what it is — something that follows something else when, really, it has no business following that thing. That, gentle readers, is the very definition of non sequitur: an inference that does not follow from the premises. There is no logical connection between two statements.
A visual non sequitur — the message and the red dress have no apparent connection (photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rzrxtion/4759341276/)
Variations of a singular joke use the non sequitur:
- How many plumbers does it take to screw in a light bulb? Fish.
- Did you hear about the bald guy at the frame shop? Green soup.
- Why did the chicken cross the road? 11:30 p.m.
You get the idea — they make no sense. The Latin non sequitur concept even has an entire comic strip based on it. Good stuff.
Fun times.
Happy trails!
SAK
