Figures of Speech Served Fresh

Quote:  "My first reaction was a smile; it is very creative.  My second reaction is that we have to stop this."  Bert Kuiper, mayor of the Dutch town of Skarsterlan, in the New York Times.

Figure of Speech:  reluctant conclusion, a tactic to prove disinterest.

Hotels.nl, a Dutch travel website, is putting its logo on blankets and the blankets on sheep throughout the Netherlands.  The campaign has earned the company a thousand-euro daily fine for violating a town ban on advertising along the highway.

The mayor explains his decision with a reluctant conclusion:  claiming that he once held the opposing position but was overwhelmed by the logic on the other side.   It’s a great way to prove your disinterest.

People often confuse "disinterest" with "uninterest,"  but they’re two very different words.  A disinterested person isn’t bored; he has no personal stake in the matter.   An audience will find you more trustworthy if it thinks you have nothing to gain.

Like those poor hot sheep.

Snappy Answer:  "Your third reaction might be to buy stock in the company.  The website’s sales are up 15 percent."