New to Python: Features

Stephen Waterbury golux at comcast.net
Wed Oct 6 22:34:54 EDT 2004


Peter L Hansen wrote:
> Jeff Shannon wrote:
> 
>> Daniel Ellison wrote:
>>
>>> "Oh, the humanity!" is a direct quote from the radio host covering 
>>> the arrival (and subsequent demise) of the Hindenburg at New Jersey's 
>>> Lakehurst Naval Air Station in 1937.  
> 
>> ... I do 
>> still find myself wondering how many users of the phrase realize that 
>> it *is* a misspeaking ...)
> 
> Actually, I don't believe it was a mis-speaking [...]  "Humanity" has several
> meanings, the second of which (here looking at Webster's via dict.org)
> refers to "mankind collectively".  Said radio host was actually
> moved to cry out at the loss of life, the humanity, that he was
> witnessing.  Or so I've always assumed...

Exactly so -- and rather obviously the intended meaning.

Steve



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