It’s “based on,” not “based off”

Pay attention, Daniel-san

By Lucas J. Mather

The student said, I ordered them off of this website that…

Ordered them “on” the website. You were on the website, not “off” of the website. You could also say “from” the website, the professor said.

The LA faces melted like the Nazis in the Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the Professor shielded his eyes from the glory of the Lord as this happened, and he said, with his eyes closed, make sense?

Well, based off of what you just said, a student said–

Based on what I just said, the Professor said. Based *on*. You’re making a theoretical or practical inference–based on what the witness said, the jury convicted him.

You’re making us so paranoid that we can’t even talk, one of the students said.

And yet, there you are, talking, so based *on* the fact that you talked, just now, that’s not true, the Professor responded.

Professor, can I be honest with you? she said.

That depends on your moral character, whether you can be honest, because as for me, I appreciate frank discussion. You should have ample evidence of that, the Professor concluded. I would say, if you can’t be honest, you *can* work up to being more honest, bit by bit. You can build up the habit by desiring to be honest, even if you’re not.

The LA Raiders of the Lost Ark Nazi faces were full-on skeletons, and she eeked out, I just feel like you’re really hard on us.

I can appreciate that , the Professor said. But if you’re this inattentive to language and meaning, it’s no surprise that you read a passage and get the opposite of its intended meaning from it. As many of my Cal State students did when we studied Constitutional Law. Several students thought the 2nd Amendment allowed the right to keep and bear arms to be infringed. Several thought it was not a right of “the people”, even though it says it right there. In the text.

That’s true, she said.

How do you know, you weren’t there.

Based on what you just said, she said. I was listening to you. Didn’t you call that, “testimony”, the mode uh latte, how, what did you call it?

A modality of belief formation. Evidence. Testimony is evidence. Good. Very good. You were paying attention.

And did you hear that I said based on, she said.

I did hear that. Yes, it’s what allowed me to slip into what you were saying with no Asperger alarm bells going off.

Going off or on, professor, another student said, and they all laughed.

There perhaps is hope for all of you, the Professor prophesied.

Copyright Lucas J. Mather, 2019
All Rights Reserved
Originally Published to Facebook Sat. 14 Sept 2019 at 9:24 am

Be sure to subscribe to The Republican Professor Podcast.

Former-President Obama, it’s been said, is extremely worried about TRP podcast.

It was said earlier today by me while I was brushing my teeth. I was still half asleep. But still, “it’s been said” is true. So there.

Warmly, 

Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. 

The Republican Professor Podcast
The Republican Professor Newsletter on Substack

https://therepublicanprofessor.substack.com/

https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/podcast/
https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/articles/

YouTube channel: The Republican Professor available by clicking the link for the TRP Video Library

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRepublicanProfessor
Twitter: @RepublicanProf
Instagram: @the_republican_professor