A conundrum

[Wilson Gray]

On Thu, Aug 4, 2011 at 10:37 AM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I recommend,
>
> "Hey! I got a question for you, asshole!"
>
> Far less irritating. On the other hand, plain "Hey! Asshole!" would just be
> rude.

Unfortunately, attempting to be polite by asking permission to ask a
question necessarily entails asking a question before permission to
ask a question can be granted.

What's a mother(fucker) to do?

A friend has suggested following the example of German and _stating_ that

"What I would like to ask is whether I may ask a question.

Unfortunately, this friend also prescriptively wishes to exclude _can
I?_ from the conversation on "logical" grounds, since only The Shadow
knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.

--
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint
to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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