Charlie StrossFeb 27
I went looking to see if I could identify bots among my followers: turns out I had a sure-fire test for people who, seeing a warning sign that says DO NOT PISS ON THE ELECTRIC FENCE, will do exactly that.
Show threadGillinger
@cstross
The problem with sure-fire tests is that they occasionally catch fire.
Feb 27 at 11:58amWeb
Show threadJdeBPFeb 27

@Gillinger

Occasionally?

I should be asking for your money back, if I were you. They are supposed to be *sure* to catch fire.

(-:

(The best that 1 minute's worth of research turns up, after checking the dictionaries and only finding the meaning, is that 'sure fire' was originally an advertising moniker from the 19th century for waterproof rifle ammunition that will always fire.)

@cstross
#EnglishLanguage #fire