Editor's Corner

“A non sequitur walks into a bar. In a strong wind, even turkeys can fly.”

The simple definition of a non sequitur, from Merriam-Webster, is “a statement (such as a response) that does not follow logically from or is not clearly related to anything previously said.” Non sequitur is actually Latin for “it does not follow.”

And from Google, “a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement.”

Here are some examples of non sequiturs from Your Dictionary:

• My refrigerator is acting up. I’d better read that book by Friday.
• It’s time to take my car in for service. I wonder if my stylist is available this Saturday.
• People love the beach. I think I’ll put sand floors in my house.
• When it’s sunny, I see my neighbor walking his dog. He must only walk the dog when the sun is out.
• My mom loves to read. She must hate movies.
• I don’t make much money and I’m unhappy. Rich people must be happy.
• He went to the same college as Bill Gates. He should be famous, too.
• Mary bakes the best cakes in town. She should run for mayor.
• I got into a car accident on a rainy day. No one should drive in the rain.
• Wooden furniture comes from trees. If trees are cut down, there will be no new furniture.
• "It tastes like somebody stole my wallet. Ya know?" – Gerard Way

From the comic strip Non Sequitur

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

Symitar Documentation Services