Literal
Many years ago, Steve labeled me as having a "literal" sense of humor. (I must confess that I did consult a dictionary to determine whether the adjective was appropriate. ) Today (okay, I knew before today) I discovered that I am not alone. Literalmind.com is a sympathetic site for my particular mind set. Analyzing the use of proper phrasing on the television game show Jeopardy, Neal notes;
Sure, they insist on the answers being in the form of a question, but they don't seem to care whether the questions the contestants come up with could actually be answered by the answer on the blue screen.
Then provides this fictional example of how things should be;
Later, in the Double Jeopardy round...Alex: On August 28, 1963, this man gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Rudy?
Rudy: Who is Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Alex: Sorry, wrong question. Neal?
Neal: When did Martin Luther King, Jr., give his "I Have a Dream" speech?
Alex: That's correct, for $200.
So, lets' play the game using current events. The answer is, 'Between July and October 2003, this former National Security Adviser stole classified documents from the National Archives.'
And the question is, 'When did Sandy Berger provide the latest, (known), example that the Clinton Administration was not the most ethical administration ever?'
