[lit-ideas] Re: There's no such thing as a free cremation

  • From: JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxx
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:54:49 EST

My favourite false performative is the last page of the phone bill -- it is  
entirely blank except for one sentence in the middle.  It always  reads:  
"This page is intentionally blank."
 
Julie Krueger

========Original  Message========     Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: There's no such 
thing as a free cremation  Date: 11/20/2006 7:17:04 A.M. Central Standard Time  
From: _donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx)   To: 
_lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)   Sent on:    


> The reason I asked whether it was a  performative -- "I can't 
> wait" -- is that it does what it says: it  doesn't wait AND 
> it mocks.

'This sentence contains five  words.'

This does what it says. But it is hardly a performative utterance  in Austin's
sense.

Compare: 'This will make you  laugh'.

Donal

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