Discussion:
"100% less"
(too old to reply)
Adam Funk
2021-09-17 12:47:28 UTC
Permalink
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
earlier. One of the bullet points:

"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
--
And I won't like [this usage] any better if you produce examples from
Shakespeare, Milton, Johnson ... Or, indeed, myself. --Mike Lyle
Richard Heathfield
2021-09-17 13:05:42 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
What do they use as a cleaning agent, one wonders. Ethanol? Liquid
helium? Gallium?
--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within
Lewis
2021-09-17 20:39:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by Richard Heathfield
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
What do they use as a cleaning agent, one wonders. Ethanol? Liquid
helium? Gallium?
Compressed air and vacuum suction?
--
BART BUCKS ARE NOT LEGAL TENDER Bart chalkboard Ep. 8F06
bozo de niro
2021-09-20 10:33:17 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lewis
Post by Richard Heathfield
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
What do they use as a cleaning agent, one wonders. Ethanol? Liquid
helium? Gallium?
Compressed air and vacuum suction?
--
BART BUCKS ARE NOT LEGAL TENDER Bart chalkboard Ep. 8F06
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
Madhu
2021-09-20 16:42:11 UTC
Permalink
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Lewis
Post by Richard Heathfield
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
What do they use as a cleaning agent, one wonders. Ethanol? Liquid
helium? Gallium?
Compressed air and vacuum suction?
--
BART BUCKS ARE NOT LEGAL TENDER Bart chalkboard Ep. 8F06
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100% less
means half the amount of water.
Athel Cornish-Bowden
2021-09-20 16:45:37 UTC
Permalink
Post by Madhu
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Lewis
Post by Richard Heathfield
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
What do they use as a cleaning agent, one wonders. Ethanol? Liquid
helium? Gallium?
Compressed air and vacuum suction?
--
BART BUCKS ARE NOT LEGAL TENDER Bart chalkboard Ep. 8F06
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
Whoosh! That was the whole point (I assume) of the original post.
Post by Madhu
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100% less
means half the amount of water.
--
Athel -- French and British, living mainly in England until 1987.
Peter Moylan
2021-09-21 02:14:54 UTC
Permalink
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".

The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
--
Peter Moylan Newcastle, NSW http://www.pmoylan.org
Snidely
2021-09-21 19:05:10 UTC
Permalink
Post by Peter Moylan
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".
The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
Of course, "uses half the water of the other guys".

/dps
--
Rule #0: Don't be on fire.
In case of fire, exit the building before tweeting about it.
(Sighting reported by Adam F)
Adam Funk
2021-09-22 08:30:52 UTC
Permalink
Post by Snidely
Post by Peter Moylan
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".
The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
Of course, "uses half the water of the other guys".
That would be good. I think the original is an example (yet another)
of trying to sound scientific but getting it wrong.
--
I have a natural revulsion to any operating system that shows so
little planning as to have to named all of its commands after
digestive noises (awk, grep, fsck, nroff).
_The UNIX-HATERS Handbook_
Bebercito
2021-09-22 11:29:36 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Snidely
Post by Peter Moylan
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".
The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
Of course, "uses half the water of the other guys".
That would be good. I think the original is an example (yet another)
of trying to sound scientific but getting it wrong.
Indeed, so my initial hunch on the sentence was right.
Post by Adam Funk
--
I have a natural revulsion to any operating system that shows so
little planning as to have to named all of its commands after
digestive noises (awk, grep, fsck, nroff).
_The UNIX-HATERS Handbook_
Madhu
2021-09-24 03:40:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bebercito
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
Indeed, so my initial hunch on the sentence was right.
[Yes I noticed it and I was going to post my comment as a followup to
your post, but I thought bozo's was better choice]
Lewis
2021-09-22 19:40:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Snidely
Post by Peter Moylan
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".
The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
Of course, "uses half the water of the other guys".
That would be good. I think the original is an example (yet another)
of trying to sound scientific but getting it wrong.
There are many ways to clean without using water.
--
I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My
idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their
own, so both of them together is certain death.
Jerry Friedman
2021-09-23 00:51:49 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lewis
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Snidely
Post by Peter Moylan
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".
The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
Of course, "uses half the water of the other guys".
That would be good. I think the original is an example (yet another)
of trying to sound scientific but getting it wrong.
There are many ways to clean without using water.
, he said drily.
--
Jerry Friedman
Adam Funk
2021-09-23 08:34:42 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jerry Friedman
Post by Lewis
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Snidely
Post by Peter Moylan
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".
The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
Of course, "uses half the water of the other guys".
That would be good. I think the original is an example (yet another)
of trying to sound scientific but getting it wrong.
There are many ways to clean without using water.
Sure, but carbon tetrachloride has been banned (I think). I doubt
there are any water-free ways to clean driveways --- if the flyer's
authors had meant that, they would have put something like "our
machines use no water!"
Post by Jerry Friedman
, he said drily.
bah-doom-pah
--
World War III has been happening for years now. Everyone’s
just too busy watching the commercials to notice.
--Jerry Cornelius
Athel Cornish-Bowden
2021-09-23 09:31:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Jerry Friedman
Post by Lewis
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Snidely
Post by Peter Moylan
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".
The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
Of course, "uses half the water of the other guys".
That would be good. I think the original is an example (yet another)
of trying to sound scientific but getting it wrong.
There are many ways to clean without using water.
Sure, but carbon tetrachloride has been banned (I think). I doubt
there are any water-free ways to clean driveways --- if the flyer's
authors had meant that, they would have put something like "our
machines use no water!"
Post by Jerry Friedman
, he said drily.
bah-doom-pah
Is it time for another list of Tom Swifties? I ask competitively.
--
Athel -- French and British, living mainly in England until 1987.
CDB
2021-09-23 13:00:47 UTC
Permalink
[clean and dry]
Post by Athel Cornish-Bowden
Post by Adam Funk
Sure, but carbon tetrachloride has been banned (I think). I doubt
there are any water-free ways to clean driveways --- if the
flyer's authors had meant that, they would have put something like
"our machines use no water!"
Post by Jerry Friedman
, he said drily.
bah-doom-pah
Is it time for another list of Tom Swifties? I ask competitively.
"We could make it a kind of doldrums competition, if anyone's
interested" he said, trying to be calm.
Richard Heathfield
2021-09-23 16:16:05 UTC
Permalink
Post by Athel Cornish-Bowden
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Jerry Friedman
Post by Lewis
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Snidely
Post by Peter Moylan
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".
The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
Of course, "uses half the water of the other guys".
That would be good. I think the original is an example (yet another)
of trying to sound scientific but getting it wrong.
There are many ways to clean without using water.
Sure, but carbon tetrachloride has been banned (I think). I doubt
there are any water-free ways to clean driveways --- if the flyer's
authors had meant that, they would have put something like "our
machines use no water!"
Post by Jerry Friedman
, he said drily.
bah-doom-pah
Is it time for another list of Tom Swifties? I ask competitively.
"Wrong again," I retorted.
--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within
Adam Funk
2021-09-24 08:53:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Lewis
Post by Adam Funk
Post by Snidely
Post by Peter Moylan
* bozo de niro
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
[...]
Post by bozo de niro
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100%
less means half the amount of water.
That interpretation occurred to me only this morning. I had been
wondering what the original ad was trying to say, and was struggling to
find any interpretation that didn't mean "no water".
The opposite of 100% more is, of course, 50% less.
Of course, "uses half the water of the other guys".
That would be good. I think the original is an example (yet another)
of trying to sound scientific but getting it wrong.
There are many ways to clean without using water.
Sure, but carbon tetrachloride has been banned (I think). I doubt
there are any water-free ways to clean driveways ---
These people will clean your driveway with a revolutionary new process using
no water or chemicals, if you're in Swindon.
https://www.treesurgeonswindon.com/revolutionary-driveway-cleaning-swindon/
("Revolutionary" here may mean rotational.)
It appears to be literally rotational & figuratively revolutionary.
Post by Adam Funk
if the flyer's
authors had meant that, they would have put something like "our
machines use no water!"
...
I agree with that, though.
--
In the 1970s, people began receiving utility bills for
-£999,999,996.32 and it became harder to sustain the
myth of the infallible electronic brain. (Verity Stob)
Sam Plusnet
2021-09-24 18:34:38 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Funk
These people will clean your driveway with a revolutionary new process using
no water or chemicals, if you're in Swindon.
https://www.treesurgeonswindon.com/revolutionary-driveway-cleaning-swindon/
("Revolutionary" here may mean rotational.)
It appears to be literally rotational & figuratively revolutionary.
"What's that terrible noise?"
"Your driveway is on its final spin cycle Sir."
Adam Funk
2021-09-27 09:36:17 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sam Plusnet
Post by Adam Funk
These people will clean your driveway with a revolutionary new process using
no water or chemicals, if you're in Swindon.
https://www.treesurgeonswindon.com/revolutionary-driveway-cleaning-swindon/
("Revolutionary" here may mean rotational.)
It appears to be literally rotational & figuratively revolutionary.
"What's that terrible noise?"
"Your driveway is on its final spin cycle Sir."
I've heard some loud (laundry) washing machines on spin, so a driveway
machine must be really bad.
--
Papa Hegel he say that all we learn from history is that we learn
nothing from history. I know people who can't even learn from what
happened this morning. Hegel must have been taking the long view.
---Chad C. Mulligan
Adam Funk
2021-09-21 08:41:01 UTC
Permalink
Post by Madhu
Post by bozo de niro
Post by Lewis
Post by Richard Heathfield
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
What do they use as a cleaning agent, one wonders. Ethanol? Liquid
helium? Gallium?
Compressed air and vacuum suction?
--
BART BUCKS ARE NOT LEGAL TENDER Bart chalkboard Ep. 8F06
Excuse me but doesn't a hundred percent less mean NO water?
100% more means double the amount of water. mutatis mutandis 100% less
means half the amount of water.
I think that's what whoever wrote the text for the sign meant, but
it's a good example of something that makes sense to the writer but
not at all obviously to the reader.
--
a rose that's not from anywhere that you would know or I would care
Adam Funk
2021-09-20 12:15:22 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lewis
Post by Richard Heathfield
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
What do they use as a cleaning agent, one wonders. Ethanol? Liquid
helium? Gallium?
Compressed air and vacuum suction?
All possible, I suppose, but I'm think a wacky interpretation of
percentages is a more likely explanation than some new technology
derived from the space program or extra-terrestrials.
--
I have a great programming joke but it's only
funny on my machine.
Ken Blake
2021-09-17 14:39:00 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
...and as a result, everything gets 100% less clean.
--
Ken
Sam Plusnet
2021-09-17 16:55:16 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ken Blake
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
...and as a result, everything gets 100% less clean.
They have encapsulated a politician into each machine, and direct a
powerful stream of hot air towards the driveway.

Do you remember the good old days when politicians were known for
producing hot air and not insurrection?
Bebercito
2021-09-20 12:51:13 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
It could be an error due to the fact that the author may
have had in mind:

"Jet washing uses 100% more water than machines"

and inadvertently (or ignorantly) expressed it the other way
around as

"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"

instead of

"Machines use 50% less water than jet washing".
Post by Adam Funk
--
And I won't like [this usage] any better if you produce examples from
Shakespeare, Milton, Johnson ... Or, indeed, myself. --Mike Lyle
Sam Plusnet
2021-09-20 20:07:14 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bebercito
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
It could be an error due to the fact that the author may
"Jet washing uses 100% more water than machines"
and inadvertently (or ignorantly) expressed it the other way
around as
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
instead of
"Machines use 50% less water than jet washing".
It might just be a quick way of separating the numerate from the target
consumers.
bozo de niro
2021-09-20 22:56:46 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sam Plusnet
Post by Bebercito
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
It could be an error due to the fact that the author may
"Jet washing uses 100% more water than machines"
and inadvertently (or ignorantly) expressed it the other way
around as
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
instead of
"Machines use 50% less water than jet washing".
It might just be a quick way of separating the numerate from the target
consumers.
Isn't using percent like this in a structured sentence to apply a fractional change up or down just semantics?
If you can mean or define a 100% change as double, the reverse can apply as well resulting in a zero sum
UNLESS BY DEFINITION you're always multiplying to arithmetically arrive at a result up or down that
corresponds to a percent change.
Peter Moylan
2021-09-21 02:19:14 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sam Plusnet
Le vendredi 17 septembre 2021 à 15:00:07 UTC+2, Adam Funk a écrit
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
It could be an error due to the fact that the author may have had
"Jet washing uses 100% more water than machines"
and inadvertently (or ignorantly) expressed it the other way around
as
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
instead of
"Machines use 50% less water than jet washing".
It might just be a quick way of separating the numerate from the
target consumers.
I often notice something similar in political advertising. Often the
advertisers don't mind alienating intelligent and/or educated people.
Those people won't vote for them anyway, so let's just focus on the
stupid vote.
--
Peter Moylan Newcastle, NSW http://www.pmoylan.org
Adam Funk
2021-09-21 08:41:45 UTC
Permalink
Post by Peter Moylan
Post by Sam Plusnet
Le vendredi 17 septembre 2021 à 15:00:07 UTC+2, Adam Funk a écrit
Post by Adam Funk
I saw an ad for a driveway cleaning service in a shop window
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
It could be an error due to the fact that the author may have had
"Jet washing uses 100% more water than machines"
and inadvertently (or ignorantly) expressed it the other way around
as
"Machines use 100% less water than jet washing"
instead of
"Machines use 50% less water than jet washing".
It might just be a quick way of separating the numerate from the
target consumers.
I often notice something similar in political advertising. Often the
advertisers don't mind alienating intelligent and/or educated people.
Those people won't vote for them anyway, so let's just focus on the
stupid vote.
Clearly that works.
--
Corporations are neither physical nor metaphysical phenomena. They are
socioeconomic ploys — legally enacted game-playing — agreed upon only
between overwhelmingly powerful socioeconomic individuals and by them
imposed upon human society and its all unwitting members.
---Buckminster Fuller
Loading...