Never speak ill.....

I tend to keep politics off this blog, but it should be noted that conservative political columnist William Safire passed away this weekend.

In addition to being a political writer, Safire also wrote about writing and words. While I didn't share his politics, I enjoyed his Sunday columns "On Language." So imagine my surprise at reading this paragraph in the obituary that appears in the paper that hired him, the New York Times:

"And there were Safire “rules for writers”: Remember to never split an infinitive. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors. Proofread carefully to see if you words out. Avoid clichés like the plague. And don’t overuse exclamation marks!!"

Okay - it's well known that newspapers often have pre-written obituaries on file for famous people. Do you suppose Safire wrote his own obit, and is having a fine time laughing at his final joke?