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"No relation" - any alternative suggestions?

BassyBill

BassyBill

Gold Supporting Member
In Memoriam
Mar 12, 2005
18,174
4,621
West Midlands UK
#1
I just read a post where someone was commenting on the fact that they had the same surname as someone they didn't know personally. To point out that they weren't from the same immediate family, they used the common phrase "no relation".

It's just my personal reaction, but whenever I see this phrase, I can't help thinking that it's factually wrong. After all, we're all related to each other somehow <group hug>. Unfortunately, I can't think of a phrase that would be a convenient, clear and concise alternative. Suggestions?


/nitpicking :p
 
#7
Actually Bill, I would just look at the intent of the phrase a little differently- actually a bit like the way M_v_s described. Saying "no relation" is saying "you should not associate me with that person", even though we are all associable by ancestry, phylum, molecular composition, planet, etc. I know you already know that, but I'm just twisting the unspoken part of the phrase from "I have no relation" to "you should ascribe me no relation for practical purposes".
 
#8
I regularly tell people I'm related to the baked bean company, not the president.

I've also claimed, on the basis that we're all related somehow, to be related to Kate and former Anthrax singer John. I haven't looked, that may even be the case.

That may not help someone who doesn't have a last name in common with famous people, though.
 
#9
WalterBush said:
I regularly tell people I'm related to the baked bean company, not the president.

I've also claimed, on the basis that we're all related somehow, to be related to Kate and former Anthrax singer John. I haven't looked, that may even be the case.

That may not help someone who doesn't have a last name in common with famous people, though.
Click to expand...

Are you are the genius that came up with the idea to put the little chunk of lard in each can of Pork and Beans? :hyper:
 
#12
i share last name with one of australias former greats and his son, a current great of our code of football,AFL.

people automatically assume there is no relation because of the color of my skin, so i actually have the oppisite issue, finding interesting ways to turn the question, "no relation, right?" into an interesting answer, as i can claim relation in 3 steps.



just some youtube of the men in question, and if any of my friends from the US of A are interested in our football code, there is some AFL footage.
 
#13
@maki:

Not really a hippy - well, not much anyway. Just being scientific.

As I said, we're all related to each other if you could trace back far enough (not that far, really - some estimates based on DNA studies put the distance back to the last common ancestor of every single human alive today at only about 3,000 years ago). We're even related to all other species. Go outside and say hi to your long-lost cousins, growing on the bark of a tree. ;)
 
#16
bassybill said:
@maki:

Not really a hippy - well, not much anyway. Just being scientific.

As I said, we're all related to each other if you could trace back far enough (not that far, really - some estimates based on DNA studies put the distance back to the last common ancestor of every single human alive today at only about 3,000 years ago). We're even related to all other species. Go outside and say hi to your long-lost cousins, growing on the bark of a tree. ;)
Click to expand...

This is assuming way too much for casual conversation. Do you think that when people approach each other, they approach each other recognizing the homosapien connection to monkey's picking nits out of each other fur? Not to be nitpicky (wait for it, you'll see what I did there ;)) but this is setting yourself up for a big letdown. Most people are not that deep. Most people are dumb. Take it from me. I'm a monkey. And I'm dumb. I'm perfectly ok with that too.
 
#17
MakiSupaStar said:
This is assuming way too much for casual conversation. Do you think that when people approach each other, they approach each other recognizing the homosapien connection to monkey's picking nits out of each other fur? Not to be nitpicky (wait for it, you'll see what I did there ;)) but this is setting yourself up for a big letdown. Most people are not that deep. Most people are dumb. Take it from me. I'm a monkey. And I'm dumb. I'm perfectly ok with that too.
Click to expand...

This is why I named my band Ugly Ape. Youre not the only dumb monkey.
 
#19
maki said:
This is assuming way too much for casual conversation. Do you think that when people approach each other, they approach each other recognizing the homosapien connection to monkey's picking nits out of each other fur? Not to be nitpicky (wait for it, you'll see what I did there ) but this is setting yourself up for a big letdown. Most people are not that deep. Most people are dumb. Take it from me. I'm a monkey. And I'm dumb. I'm perfectly ok with that too.
Click to expand...
Well, you're not really a monkey, technically speaking. You're an ape - as are we all, of course. And you're not dumb, in my opinion; quite the opposite. ;)

I can cope with the letdown as and when, but I'm naturally optimistic and it seems I have higher expectations of our fellow apes than you do, you hard bitten old cynic, you. :D
 

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