What we say, as opposed to what we want to say

I got an email from someone the other day; it said, “Can I build a carbon fiber frame?”

I wanted to reply, “Sure, go ahead, knock yourself out.”

But I didn’t; instead I directed him to this website.

It reminded me of an incident some thirty years ago in England. A man walked into my bicycle framebuilding business, accompanied by an extremely beautiful woman; he asked, “Can I get a frame for my wife?”

I wanted to say, “That sounds like a very fair exchange, I could probably throw in a pair of wheels also.”

But I didn’t; instead I took his order and built a frame for his lovely wife.