But I digress. And how! Here's an example of how my normally efficient writing routine gets disrupted:
In one of my write-ups, a web site described the mower color as "jet black". I had to think about this one for a minute, since why would the word "jet" be synonymous with the color "black"? I don't think I've ever see a black jet (well, that's not true, I've seen black players for the NY Jets but not the kind of jet that flies through the air--and even if I had, not enough of them to constitute being a standard for color). I mean my car is black, but I would be reluctant to describe something as "Honda Accord Black". But jet black is used fairly regularly, especially when talking about hair. Can we do this with any color? Ihop Urinal White. Infected goo coming out of my cat's eye yellow. Bloody nose dripped on a tissue red. Ultimate frisbee grass stain green. Megaman blue. Captain Crunch amber. And so on.
Wait, a few more. Transvestite eye shadow purple. Pumpkin innards orange. Interior chamber of Jean Claude Van Damme's nostrils in "Bloodsport" burgundy.
It looks like the weirdo Brits are responsible for the word "jet" and use it to refer to an especially dark but equally lustrous piece of coal. I suppose coal black doesn't sound as mysterious and enigmatic, especially if you've ever seen any of the dust covered Dickens-esque urchins who labored as chimney sweeps in the 1800s. Pitch black actually works, since pitch (or tar as normal people call it) is quite black. Pitch dark also works.
Anyhow, after all that trouble I noticed I had the wrong picture for my mower--it was actually red. Crunchberry red.
