6 ms·

I do not think "pouring jet fuel on something", meaning to make it go faster, is a legitimate English idiom.

by conistonwater 6y ago

hotz 6y ago
Yeah agreed, it's quite an odd use of language.
- axus 6y ago
  We were able to immediately know what they meant, and also know that it didn't look like exactly what they meant. I'd have to read the article to know if language drove brain development, or vice versa.
  - andi999 6y ago
    I didnt know what was meant. I thought they meant it was poison for evolution.
- dboreham 6y ago
  Jet fuel is kerosene, which doesn't flash easily. So this would probably put out any fire. Perhaps that was the idiom they were going for?
glomph 6y ago
Legitimate? Since when were idioms a question of legitimacy? The only languages which do not change are dead ones. - David Crystal
- chrstphrknwtn 6y ago
  I suppose it’s more a question of efficacy. If an idiom obfuscates the intended meaning then it’s not very good. In this case it really does just get in the way because the metaphor doesn’t really make sense...
1propionyl 6y ago
The colloquial meaning is "pouring something onto a fire that is even more flammable than what was already burning".
wastedhours 6y ago
Interesting - as I've heard it used regularly in exactly that context, and wouldn't have questioned it otherwise. Then again, I was surprised when someone I knew didn't understand what "poster child" meant.
kwistzhaderach 6y ago
You telling me, pouring jet fuel doesn’t bend steel beams faster?
jansan 6y ago
I just poured jet fuel on my brain an besides the awful smell it does not seem to have a large effect. Maybe it takes a few days, so I will leave it on for a while. In case you wondered how I got access to my brain, this old tool proved helpful: https://www.catawiki.de/l/14535665-trephine-skull-drill https://www.catawiki.de/l/14535665-trephine-skull-drill And yes, this was a joke and I do not recommend trying this at home. Ask your trusted surgeon for advice.
cryptoz 6y ago
This whole subthread reminds me of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiIlJaSDPaA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiIlJaSDPaA
js2 6y ago
The idiom “pour/add fuel on/to the fire” means to make something worse. I understood the headline but it caused me to raise my eyebrow. It’s almost a mixed metaphor? https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/add+fuel+to+the+fire https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/add+fuel+to+the+fire https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/pour+fuel+on+the+fire https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/pour+fuel+on+the+fire I would have used “turbocharged”, “greatly sped up”, or “significantly accelerated.” If you’re literally adding fuel to a fire to make it burn hotter/faster, the energy density of jet fuel (basically kerosene) isn’t that much greater than gasoline or many other fuels, but I guess it sounds neat. https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/12184/what-are-the-differences-between-fuel-types-comparing-with-vehicles https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/12184/what-are-... https://neutrium.net/properties/specific-energy-and-energy-density-of-fuels/ https://neutrium.net/properties/specific-energy-and-energy-d... If you really want to get a fire going, use liquid oxygen: https://youtu.be/sab2Ltm1WcM https://youtu.be/sab2Ltm1WcM
- mc32 6y ago
  Even colloquially x on steroids would work too. I think you’re right it is a mixed metaphor with mixed attitudes.
- catalogia 6y ago
  https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jet_fuel https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jet_fuel > (slang, uncountable) Strong home-brewed alcoholic drink; moonshine. I posit that jet fuel is considered very powerful stuff in the general lexicon (even though it's just fancy kerosene.)
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ardy42 6y ago
> I do not think "pouring jet fuel on something", meaning to make it go faster, is a legitimate English idiom. IIRC, it is close to a legitimate Chinese idiom ("add oil"). https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-word-of-the-month-%E5%8A%A0%E6%B2%B9-add-oil/ https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-word-of-the-month-%E...
dreamcompiler 6y ago
It does seem silly. Jet fuel is kerosene, which is also used in oil lamps. It's a lot less volatile than gasoline.
- frenchy 6y ago
  Yes, the irony here is that (depending on the amount), you can easily douse a fire with jet fuel.
pjc50 6y ago
The first thing that pops into my head was "Jet fuel can't melt steel brains", which may indicate that I've spent too long on the internet.
dang 6y ago
Yes, that is a weird one. At least it was language that came from the researcher and not some manic headline writer. We replaced the title with a more representative phrase from the article.

I do not think "pouring jet fuel on something", meaning to make it go faster, is a legitimate English idiom.

hotz 6y ago

Yeah agreed, it's quite an odd use of language.

axus 6y ago
We were able to immediately know what they meant, and also know that it didn't look like exactly what they meant. I'd have to read the article to know if language drove brain development, or vice versa.
- andi999 6y ago
  I didnt know what was meant. I thought they meant it was poison for evolution.
dboreham 6y ago
Jet fuel is kerosene, which doesn't flash easily. So this would probably put out any fire. Perhaps that was the idiom they were going for?

glomph 6y ago

Legitimate? Since when were idioms a question of legitimacy? The only languages which do not change are dead ones. - David Crystal

chrstphrknwtn 6y ago
I suppose it’s more a question of efficacy. If an idiom obfuscates the intended meaning then it’s not very good. In this case it really does just get in the way because the metaphor doesn’t really make sense...

1propionyl 6y ago

The colloquial meaning is "pouring something onto a fire that is even more flammable than what was already burning".

wastedhours 6y ago

Interesting - as I've heard it used regularly in exactly that context, and wouldn't have questioned it otherwise. Then again, I was surprised when someone I knew didn't understand what "poster child" meant.

kwistzhaderach 6y ago

You telling me, pouring jet fuel doesn’t bend steel beams faster?

jansan 6y ago

I just poured jet fuel on my brain an besides the awful smell it does not seem to have a large effect. Maybe it takes a few days, so I will leave it on for a while. In case you wondered how I got access to my brain, this old tool proved helpful: https://www.catawiki.de/l/14535665-trephine-skull-drill https://www.catawiki.de/l/14535665-trephine-skull-drill And yes, this was a joke and I do not recommend trying this at home. Ask your trusted surgeon for advice.

cryptoz 6y ago

This whole subthread reminds me of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiIlJaSDPaA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiIlJaSDPaA

js2 6y ago

The idiom “pour/add fuel on/to the fire” means to make something worse. I understood the headline but it caused me to raise my eyebrow. It’s almost a mixed metaphor? https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/add+fuel+to+the+fire https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/add+fuel+to+the+fire https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/pour+fuel+on+the+fire https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/pour+fuel+on+the+fire I would have used “turbocharged”, “greatly sped up”, or “significantly accelerated.” If you’re literally adding fuel to a fire to make it burn hotter/faster, the energy density of jet fuel (basically kerosene) isn’t that much greater than gasoline or many other fuels, but I guess it sounds neat. https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/12184/what-are-the-differences-between-fuel-types-comparing-with-vehicles https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/12184/what-are-... https://neutrium.net/properties/specific-energy-and-energy-density-of-fuels/ https://neutrium.net/properties/specific-energy-and-energy-d... If you really want to get a fire going, use liquid oxygen: https://youtu.be/sab2Ltm1WcM https://youtu.be/sab2Ltm1WcM

mc32 6y ago
Even colloquially x on steroids would work too. I think you’re right it is a mixed metaphor with mixed attitudes.
catalogia 6y ago
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jet_fuel https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jet_fuel > (slang, uncountable) Strong home-brewed alcoholic drink; moonshine. I posit that jet fuel is considered very powerful stuff in the general lexicon (even though it's just fancy kerosene.)
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deleted 6y ago

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ardy42 6y ago

> I do not think "pouring jet fuel on something", meaning to make it go faster, is a legitimate English idiom. IIRC, it is close to a legitimate Chinese idiom ("add oil"). https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-word-of-the-month-%E5%8A%A0%E6%B2%B9-add-oil/ https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-word-of-the-month-%E...

dreamcompiler 6y ago

It does seem silly. Jet fuel is kerosene, which is also used in oil lamps. It's a lot less volatile than gasoline.

frenchy 6y ago
Yes, the irony here is that (depending on the amount), you can easily douse a fire with jet fuel.

pjc50 6y ago

The first thing that pops into my head was "Jet fuel can't melt steel brains", which may indicate that I've spent too long on the internet.

dang 6y ago

Yes, that is a weird one. At least it was language that came from the researcher and not some manic headline writer. We replaced the title with a more representative phrase from the article.