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Subject:Re: Please explain this phrase From:"Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- editors-writers -dot- info> To:"Con & Yu" <dorun -at- m3 -dot- dion -dot- ne -dot- jp>, "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 22 Aug 2003 07:06:03 -0400
----- Original Message -----
From: "Con & Yu" <dorun -at- m3 -dot- dion -dot- ne -dot- jp>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: August 21, 2003 09:17 PM
Subject: Please explain this phrase
>
> Hello all,
> First thanks to all those who answered my various questions about technical
> editing.
>
> I was reading a report as I was preparing it for press and I came across one
> sentence that makes no sense to me. Would someone please explain it to me?
>
> The sentence is:
>
>
> No self-respecting scientist would mix English and metric systems.
>
>
>
> Does this mean that scientists only need to know one of the two systems? or
> something else?
>
No, it means no self-respecting scientist would use one system for the
measurement of the *input* to an experiment and the other for the measurement
of the *output* of the experiment. The key word here is "mix," as in putting a
bunch of crab meat, celery, and spices into a bowl and mixing them together to
create a tasty salad. Mixing means "using them both."
