To Split Or To Not Split...

[Rory Ewins]

Knowing full well that the question of split infinitives is the number one
English-usage chestnut (witness the heated debate in any random sample of
posts here), I would nevertheless like to share MY favourite example, not
of a split infinitive, but of a counter-productive avoidance of one.

A few years ago I read an Australian AIDS Council poster on the subject of
needle-sharing and the associated risks of AIDS-transmission. It had a
big, split-infinitive-avoiding slogan:

"The only way to stay safe is not to share."

To which the obvious rejoinder is,

"If it's not that, then what is it?"

---
Rory Ewins <are...@coombs.anu.edu.au>

The only part of the Australian National University represented by
these opinions is the part sitting right here at this screen.
Call them 0.001 percent representative, or call them what you like.

[Lyle Neff]

In article <arewins-15...@150.203.79.22>,
Rory Ewins <are...@coombs.anu.edu.au> wrote:

>"The only way to stay safe is not to share."
>
>To which the obvious rejoinder is,
>
>"If it's not that, then what is it?"

That's like Roseanne's quip on her first HBO special of many years ago:

"Don't ever strike your children in anger."

--"Well, then when *would* be a good time to hit 'em?"

--
Lyle Neff, ln...@ucs.indiana.edu