What's The Pirot?

In a charming, as always, comment, L. J. Kramer writes about Grice's quantitative 'thing':


If I ask you whether the horse
is green, "the pillar box seems red"
is not "informative" at all.
(And what's a pillar box anyway?)

Actually, isn't it informative that I may find your question _otiose_?

R. Carston, who lives in London, has another example:

The double decker seems red.

I told her that they do, because they are, hardly red. With all that smog and thing. Hence the expression, "She has a face like the back of a double decker"

A pillar box is like a pirot, only different.

I'm researching onto this.

When Carnap wrote his "Logical syntax" he did it, appropriately, in German. He found a la-di-da lady, Countess Whatever, nee Smeaton. She translated it alright:


Rudolf
Your Die Piroten Karulizen Elatiklich
I'm not sure what you mean.
Shall I go on? This is p. 3, so I'm bored.

ps. The count sends all his love, etc.

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Hospers writes:

"It's not clear what Carnap meant by 'pirot'. I submit, "building higher than 10 stories". This leaves the question open as why if at all they should be allowed to karulise elatically".

A pirot, sorry, pillar box is a Victorian invention. We have them down here, protected by the right Societies.

"Dear Lord Chancellor,

We want them _red_. Your
idea of tourquoise is fine, but
unoperative. Low-classers, Lord
Dalton writes, only tell 'red'
and 'green'. But Green won't do
as I may find problems finding
it -- or Albert will, trust him --
as we deer hunt in Richmond park

I _am_ amused!

Vic

The Queen x x x

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Etc.