Question about idioms for clearing a list

[Fredrik Lundh]

Steve Holden wrote:

>> While the sentiment behind the list.clear() suggestion is noble, it is
>> an exercise in futility to design a language around the presumption
>> that other programmers are incapable of learning the basics of the
>> language.
>
> +1 QOTW

>> There was a pithy Tim Peters quotation to the effect that he was
>> unpersuaded by language proposals predicated on some hypothetical
>> average programmer not being smart enough to understand something that
>> the rest of us find to be basic.
>>
> Well, for those who can't find it you just provided a fairly pithy
> Raymond Hettinger quote :-)

for the record, the original quote is:

    The "of course, while *I* have no problem with this at all, it's
    surely too much for a lesser being" flavor of argument always rings
    hollow to me. Are you personally confused by the meanings for "+" that
    exist today? *Objecting* to the variations is a different story; I'm
    wondering whether you personally stumble over them in practice. I
    don't; Steven doesn't; I doubt that you do either. I'm betting that
    almost *nobody* ever does, in which case those "less nimble colleagues
    and students" must be supernaturally feeble to merit such concern.
          -- Tim Peters, 29 Apr 1998

</F>