English Rules

100 Percent Hybrid

May 8, 2008

Sara got a pair of shoes in the mail from Zappos today. On the shoebox, in big, bold lettering, were the words "100% HYBRID."

Is it just me, or is that an oxymoron? Isn't it like saying that something is completely partial? (And I don't mean partial in the sense of biased.) Anyway, it struck me as kind of funny.

Comments (6)

1Camille DeBoer wrote:

Interesting observation. One of our local news websites this week announced the cancellation of the Tulip Time fireworks as having occurred "two straight days in a row." I guess that's less oxymoron and more redundant but still.... I would tolerate a little more precision.

May 8, 2008 ; 11:59 PM

2Debbi wrote:

I never heard that term in reference to shoes! What kind were they? I think you should take a picture of it and send it to Consumer Reports so that they can use it on the last page of blooper ads!

May 9, 2008 ; 7:35 PM

3Viper007Bond wrote:

Actually, while poorly worded, "100% Hybrid" makes sense. It means that the entire item is a hybrid rather than only part of it being a hybrid and the rest something else.

May 11, 2008 ; 2:16 AM

4kevin wrote:

Christina recently got some shoes of the same brand and same box. I guess I didn't consider what that means or how something can be '100% hybrid.' Buzzwords like 'hybrid' are tossed around so casually these days I seldom notice anymore.

May 12, 2008 ; 2:35 PM

5Diane wrote:

hahaha

May 12, 2008 ; 8:04 PM

6Dennis wrote:

I have seen "100% REPRODUCTION" before, but the hybrid disclaimer's definitely a new one. Oh, where are ye authenticitie?

May 20, 2008 ; 5:53 PM

Post a Comment

(you may use HTML tags for style)

Notify me when others comment on this entry.


Comment Notification

I don't want to comment now, but please notify me when others comment on this entry:

Email:

Notify Me
Stop Notifying Me

In This Section

All Entries

Search

+ Advanced Search

Recently
in my life...

  • any downsides to upgrading Ruby on OS X via Mac Ports? Will I have to reinstall all ruby gems? #lazyweb — Sat, Jul 4 at 4:50 pm
  • I'll be teaching another 3-day "Conquering jQuery" class in Holland, MI. Aug. 19-21. Details: Link — Fri, Jul 3 at 12:36 pm
  • just removed a ton of spam from the jQuery docs wiki. lots more still there. — Thu, Jul 2 at 9:14 pm
  • Apparently, XHTML is the betamax of markup languages. Long live HTML. — Thu, Jul 2 at 4:04 pm
  • 2009 jQuery conference date and location announced! Link — Thu, Jul 2 at 1:20 pm
  • Evidence that I'm uncool, exhibit #578: I like watching "So You Think You Can Dance" with my wife. — Thu, Jul 2 at 12:49 pm

More of the same

Recent Comments

Sandon on Why the Button Fly?: Born in the early sixties, I've seen…

Fr. J. on Merton's Prayer: I know you wrote this a long…

BK on I'm Not Angry: HAHA Im digging that shirt its dam…

Rodercrown on Book Club Camping Trip: think I need to get onto this.…

Hillel Posner on Months of Magical Reading: Hi, my name is Hillel Posner and…

Site Info

Elsewhere

My Bookshelf

Reading Now
  • Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
  • Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
Just Read
  • War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
  • Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World
  • JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
  • The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
On the Shelf
  • Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
  • Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
  • The Catcher in the Rye

© Karl Swedberg

widescreen bonus!

+ Blogroll

Noteworthy Articles

In defense of Twitter (Jason Kottke)

Of course you'd like to think that most of your daily conversation is weighty and witty but instead everyone chats about pedestrian nonsense with their pals. In fact, that ephemeral chit-chat is the stuff that holds human social groups together...

Liberty, Equality, Envy (New York Times)

Many French intellectuals hate Barack Obama because they feel that too many people adore him, and with too much ardor...

Op-Ed Columnist - The First Shrink - NYTimes.com

President Obama, by contrast, employed smart psychology in the global club, even on small things, like asking other leaders if they wanted to start talking first at news conferences...

Scratch Lowers Resistance to Programming (Wired.com)

It's designed to be as simple to use as possible, so kids as young as 8 can get started building their own animations with minimal preparation...

Miracles Take Time (NYTimes.com)

The renegade clowns who ruined this economy, the Republican right in alliance with big business and some feckless Democrats, have no basis for waging war against efforts to get us out of their mess...

Fears of a Clown (NY Times)

But Limbaugh has a fear of his own. If people see him purely as an "entertainer," as Steele suggested, he will be exposed for what he is: a clown with a very large audience...

Mr. Bush?s Gentlemanly Goodbye (New York Times)

Beginning well before the election, President Bush and his chief of staff, Josh Bolten, decided to make this transition different by removing many of the usual obstacles and fostering cooperation and harmony...

The Pre-Blame Game (NY Times)

For just a few more weeks, though, [Obama] deserves none of the pre-emptive blame his less reasonable critics are trying to assign to him...

TV has license to kill movies at iTunes, Netflix (CNET News)

Apple is an Internet retailer and Netflix is a Web video rental service, but Hollywood treats them as if they are potential competitors to TV broadcasters...

Roku New Netflix Player (Wired)

Then came Roku's Netflix Player, the $100 video box that could summon more than 15,000 titles at no charge for Netflix subscribers...

This Math Whiz Called It for Obama Months Ago (NY Times)

In an election season of unlikely outcomes, Mr. Silver, 30, is perhaps the most unlikely media star to emerge...

Op-Ed Columnist: The Obama Agenda

Right now many commentators are urging Barack Obama to think small. Let?s hope he has the good sense to ignore their advice...

Obama for president (Anchorage Daily News)

Palin's rise captivates us but nation needs a steady hand...

McCain's Non-Support for Troops and Veterans: The Master List

Senator John McCain has a very clear, long, and illustrious history of not supporting troops and veterans one bit...

Music & nightlife | A suburban mom's rock-star moment | Seattle Times Newspaper

Though Ketola has a reputation as a singer/songwriter in the Christian music community, she never expected that she'd leave her husband on their 17th anniversary, mind you, and take up with another man. On stage. In front of 20,000 people...