The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.
Harlan Ellison, Introduction to Blast Off : Rockets, Robots, Ray Guns, and Rarities from the Golden Age of Space Toys (2001) by S. Mark Young, Steve Duin, Mike Richardson, p. 6, who went on to say that it was often misquoted: “I don’t so much mind that they pirated it, but what does honk me off is that they never get it right. They render it dull and imbecile by phrasing it thus: ’The two most common things in the universe are…’
Not things, you insensate gobbets of ambulatory giraffe dung, elements! Elements is funny, things is imprecise and semi-guttural. Things! Geezus, when will the goyim learn they don’t know how to tell a joke.’
Categories
Harlan Ellison
1 reply on “Harlan Ellison”
The assertion most often attributed to me is a misquotation. In that case, the problem is an expansion of an original “It’s” to “It is”, which isn’t dire, but changes the tone somewhat, and somewhat to my annoyance.