Rather than just hand it over, the person proceeded, before relinquishing the cough drop, to explain to me what a cough drop was, how it works, why it works, and what's in it. I was blown away. It was a regular hall's cough drop.
I have probably been taking cough drops since the age of 5 or 6. "John [fake name for protection], do you think I'm an idiot? i know what a cough drop is..."
I told the person they would make some some kid an excellent grandpa some day: "Now see, here, this here's got your menthol-eucalyptus in it. Know what that does? Well, I'll tell you what it does! That alleviates your congested feelin' and allows the nostrils to clear up, like so [sniffs heartily], and that in turn lets the oxygen into your lungs," etc.
There is a lot of academic writing that seems a cousin to this kind of thing.
-B.
Charles Brown wrote:
"A thirst thought can only be abated by the _material_ impact of water in the digestive and circulatory systems."
Doug Henwood wrote:
"No kidding. Do you think Judith Butler is a moron or a psychotic?"