Comments on: when is the next where… http://mappinghacks.com/2006/11/29/when-is-the-next-where/ by Schuyler Erle, Rich Gibson and Jo Walsh Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:01:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Classilog http://mappinghacks.com/2006/11/29/when-is-the-next-where/#comment-282 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 04:03:14 +0000 http://mappinghacks.com/2006/11/29/when-is-the-next-where/#comment-282 The shape of the sentence is obviously meant to mimic "Grey is the next green". Wittgenstein might have suggested that colour names are of the same category and therefore "Grey is the next green" makes some sense, but "when" and "where" are mixing two different categories, time and space. "When is the next where" is grammatically correct, but semantically senseless. (For another fun example of grammatically correct, semantically senseless phrases, see <a>"Colorless green ideas sleep furiously"</a>.) To try to see if it makes sense, try being more specific as in "2007 is the next when" makes some sense, although I don't know why I'd want to say it. "New York is the next where" makes some sense, but "2007 is the next New York" makes no sense at all. (It's a stretch, but "20007 [taken as a postal zip code] is the next New York" could make some sense.) Someone may wish to argue, however, that time and space are both in the same category, namely, 'dimension'. That would be pushing common sense, but a scientist might be able to make sense of it. Anyway, I have my own meme to push. "How is the next what." The shape of the sentence is obviously meant to mimic “Grey is the next green”. Wittgenstein might have suggested that colour names are of the same category and therefore “Grey is the next green” makes some sense, but “when” and “where” are mixing two different categories, time and space. “When is the next where” is grammatically correct, but semantically senseless. (For another fun example of grammatically correct, semantically senseless phrases, see “Colorless green ideas sleep furiously”.)

To try to see if it makes sense, try being more specific as in “2007 is the next when” makes some sense, although I don’t know why I’d want to say it. “New York is the next where” makes some sense, but “2007 is the next New York” makes no sense at all. (It’s a stretch, but “20007 [taken as a postal zip code] is the next New York” could make some sense.)

Someone may wish to argue, however, that time and space are both in the same category, namely, ‘dimension’. That would be pushing common sense, but a scientist might be able to make sense of it. Anyway, I have my own meme to push. “How is the next what.”

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