Bill Clinton It Depends on what the meaning of the word is is
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN mostly quotes the line as shorthand for hair-splitting over definitions, rather than recommending the video itself.
What it is
A short clip of Bill Clinton's grand jury testimony in which he says it depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. It comes from questioning about Monica Lewinsky.
Recommended by 0 HN commenters across 0 different months, 2017 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Cites danso · 2017-01 · on “The Art of Pitching: How I Got Published in The Atlantic”
No, taking a quote of context is not the same as not running a quote with the source prior to publication. The former is unethical, the second is an optional practice. I dont't run quotes by sources when I know that I have recorded it correctly and when I feel certain of the speaker's intent and context. Most photojournalists don't let the subjects see the photos prior to publication. Not just in the past days of film, when it would have been logistically difficult, but even today with digital cameras. Most subjects have strong opinions about what photos capture them nicely. But photographers generally believe that photos capture truth, at least in a limited technical sense. edit: It's worth
Cites kube-system · 2025-11 · on “Lessons from Growing a Piracy Streaming Site”
Nah, the people who pretend that definitions in a criminal law book override natural linguistics are being deliberately obtuse. Language exists mostly outside of a courtroom. [this video]