Wait a Minute, it's Just a Pot, Right?

Ma said, “My water pot!” to Pa and me about the family water pot that Ma and Pa use to make coffee in. I think what happened was someone made a steamed milk or a hot chocolate in it and Ma doesn’t like it being used for anything but plain water.

She did a double appeal to authority, saying firstly that this is her water pot (which it is not) and then saying that since it is her water pot, it must be used only for water. An appeal to authority is where someone is saying, “I am this, so you must listen to me!” Ma was saying that because it is her water pot (I am this), it can only be used for water (so you must listen to me). In truth, she doesn’t have all the authority over the water pot and even if she had, she didn’t have to appeal to her own authority. But she did, and she appealed to her own made up authority which makes me and Pa both laugh and claiming various things around the kitchen (I said, “My milk pot!”)

“Ma’s” Water Pot:

Written by Rab Riverbattle