Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
- Location
- Ross on Wye
Can anyone beat this?
My brother was telling me the other week that he was once in an argument about something with a friend of his. They were in a restaurant at the time with a candle on the table, and Tom (my brother) was getting very much the worst of the argument, reduced to phrases like "yes, but ..." and "Er, well ..." while his mate launched a devastatingly well put together, eloquent and well informed counter argument. He got so passionate about it that he leaned over the table to deliver the coup de grace, which would really have left Tom with no option but to climb down and admit he was wrong. Fortunately, in leaning over the table, his shirt made inadvertent contact with the candle. So the final scene went something like:
FRIEND: "... so that's why you're wrong and I'm right!" (end of devastatingly effective, eloquent, etc. etc. counter argument; sits back smugly in chair and awaits self - abasing apology from Tom).
TOM (after carefully calculated pause): "Well, that's as maybe, but your shirt's on fire."
End of row in some disarray.
Anyone know a better way to bow out of an argument in which one is getting the worst?
My brother was telling me the other week that he was once in an argument about something with a friend of his. They were in a restaurant at the time with a candle on the table, and Tom (my brother) was getting very much the worst of the argument, reduced to phrases like "yes, but ..." and "Er, well ..." while his mate launched a devastatingly well put together, eloquent and well informed counter argument. He got so passionate about it that he leaned over the table to deliver the coup de grace, which would really have left Tom with no option but to climb down and admit he was wrong. Fortunately, in leaning over the table, his shirt made inadvertent contact with the candle. So the final scene went something like:
FRIEND: "... so that's why you're wrong and I'm right!" (end of devastatingly effective, eloquent, etc. etc. counter argument; sits back smugly in chair and awaits self - abasing apology from Tom).
TOM (after carefully calculated pause): "Well, that's as maybe, but your shirt's on fire."
End of row in some disarray.
Anyone know a better way to bow out of an argument in which one is getting the worst?