And Exactly What Quality is That?
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money’s gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was
–Talking Heads, “Once in a Lifetime” lyrics
OK, so only a recovering lawyer like me would parse the slogan, “The Same Quality Product Since 1952” — a food vendor’s slogan at this year’s Minnesota State Fair — and espy a second, more subtle definition.
But if you pause for a second, you will, too.
“Same As It Ever Was”
So, as intended, the slogan translates as, “We [XYZ Co.] have been selling the same, high quality food since 1952.”
Meaning #2: ‘the quality of our product is the same today as it was 60 years ago.”
You’d certainly assume that that was a “high quality” product.
But, that’s not technically what the company slogan says (sort of like Bill Clinton’s definition of “is”).
