Re: Intentionally left blank

[Gary Robinson <Robinson -at- COMINC -dot- COM>]

I believe the use of the phrase was instituted by the military during World
War II to indicate that, even though a page was blank, content wasn't
missing from documents.  I have used it occasionally in client documents
when the style mandated that each chapter begin on a facing page. Frequently
clients would ask me why the previous page was blank.

Gary G. Robinson
Technical Communications
COM, Incorporated - An Enprotech Company
7300 W. Huron River Drive
Dexter, MI 48130
734-426-7000 x20        734-426-7004 fax
robinson -at- cominc -dot- com <mailto:robinson -at- cominc -dot- com>
http://www.cominc.com <http://www.cominc.com>

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Paul Strasser [SMTP:paul -dot- strasser -at- WINDSOR-TECH -dot- COM]
        Sent:   Thursday, May 27, 1999 10:41 AM
        To:     TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
        Subject:        Re: Intentionally left blank

        The first time I encountered the "intentionally left blank" phrase
was late
        at night in a retail store, where I was learning to program some
big, ugly
        IBM box.  I came upon that phrase and burst out laughing.  The boss
came
        over and asked me what was up, and I showed him the page with the
phrase.
        He said -- okay, it was left blank.  Why is that funny?  I pointed
out that
        it wasn't blank -- there were those words on it.

        He still didn't get it.  Sigh.... my refined, sleep-deprived sense
of humor
        was lost on him.

        There must be a term for this type of phrase.  Perhaps
'self-canceling, like
        "this sentence contains six words."

        Paul Strasser
        Westminster, CO


        >As far as I know, this phrase originated at IBM when they were
first
        >beginning to work with electronic manuals.  It was a check on the
        equipment.
        >
        >
        >I was working on contract there at the time. The manuals were
developed,
        >checked, and sent out without removing the Blank blurb.  I suppose
it
        spread
        >from there to the IBM sycophants and thence into general usage. I
will not
        >put it in anything with my name on it.  :-)



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