Will
Original: Will on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Caption (narration box at top): POLITICIANS DEEPLY UNDERRATE THE UTILITY OF THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE FOR TECHNICAL NON-LYING.
Politician (a man in a suit and red tie standing at a podium, pointing outward): My fellow citizens, I am pleased to announce that the war will have been over soon!
Votey:
The same politician (close-up, smiling): And tomorrow, the end of the war will be even sooner!
Politician (a man in a suit and red tie standing at a podium, pointing outward): My fellow citizens, I am pleased to announce that the war will have been over soon!
Votey:
The same politician (close-up, smiling): And tomorrow, the end of the war will be even sooner!
Alt text
A two-panel SMBC comic about misleading grammar. Main panel: a man in a suit and red tie stands at a podium, pointing forward, beneath a caption reading "Politicians deeply underrate the utility of the future perfect continuous tense for technical non-lying." In a speech bubble he declares, "My fellow citizens, I am pleased to announce that the war will have been over soon!" The convoluted tense lets him sound like he's announcing peace without actually promising it. Votey (aftercomic): a close-up of the smiling politician adding, "And tomorrow, the end of the war will be even sooner!"
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.