I like that - "weasel words" - seems to convey the thought with all the
right connotations. My corporate days are well behind me; maybe that's how
I've missed that before.

TomNie

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
news

"billh" wrote: (clip) too many variables and too many documented cases of
oily rags starting fire to take any chances at all with them.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bill, I certainly agree that it would not be wise to take chances by
allowing oily rags to lie around unattended. However, what I wrote was a
comment on a particular *alleged* incident. I am a mechanical engineer
with some background in heat transmission and combustion, both of which
relate to an understanding of spontaneous combustion. My training tells
me that an oily rag on a bench for a brief period will not have time, nor
the right conditions to heat up. If this were not the case, rags would
start smouldering while the person is IN the shop, even if the phone
didn't distract him/her. It would be such a common experience that most
of us would have witnessed it, and oily rags would be considered
dangerous.

Still, what I wrote was full of weasel words like "likely to be untrue,"
and "probably." I wouldn't want anyone to consider what I said as
encouragement to pile up oily rags. What you said is much safer than what
I said.