this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2026
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Microblog Memes
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That's not how pencils work
It is, in a way that's recognizable as a metaphor.
But it's not. Pencils have to be resharpened when they're used, so a sharp point doesn't inherently mean it's never been used for work.
But then you'd see the pencil being shorter, but adding that is too long for a quip.
Remind me of the classic: "There are two types of people on the world, those who can extrapolate from incomplete information."
eheheheheh
This isn't a case of extrapolating from incomplete information. The premise of the comeback metaphor is fundamentally flawed.
I don't know why so many people are downvoting this when you're so clearly right. It's a comeback that sounds superficially clever, but doesn't stand up to any kind of analysis. If you keep using your pencil after you've blunted it instead of sharpening it again, you're doing low quality work.
“And those who can’t”. By the way. Just FYI.
A dull pencil definitely has though. Sharp pencil could be a worker but could be a total poser.
Not definitely. Every new, unused pencil I've ever seen in my life has been dull.
You wouldn’t fit in with that crowd, just take it at face value, chuckle and move on. It’s a very simple joke your making it complicated
Exactly, so the metaphor doesn't hold up. The sharp pencil could be either.
Look at you, dull but not smart either!
All metaphors do break down eventually.
But this one breaks down with very little scrutiny. A sharp point doesn't mean it's never been used.
Have you never worked because you woke up not feeling exhausted?
Got a better metaphor off the top of your head?
No, because of how tools work. The whole premise of the comeback is flawed.
So maybe stop analyzing it so hard core and trying to ruin a very common phrase, and come up with one yourself instead :)
The common phrase isn't what's being analyzed. It's the response to it.
Yeah; if they're still in the box, they've not yet been sharpened.
That depends entirely on what pencils you buy.
The actual box that is being talked about isn't the one you buy them in, it's the one you store them in. A pencil case.
It's like saying not the sharpest knife in the drawer, or tool in the shed.
Looking kinda dumb
I’d argue if you are speaking on the sharpness of an item it would be implied that they are supposed to be sharp. “Sharpest tool in the shed” discounts the hammer you have in there as useless when it just might not be the right tool for the job but it implies the need for a sharp tool currently.
I mean, it's not that complicated. The opposite of sharp is dull, which is a term for not being smart.
But the shape a tool is in isn't necessarily indicative of the amount of use, so the metaphor isn't transferrable in that way.
They don't lick!
This is a very "well, acktually" response.
We all know what he meant.