Selections from Inane Conversations, I
Kermit complains to Dan.
Dan
Yeah, that’s pretty annoying, but it would totally bug me, as well.
Kermit
“But” is a conjunction showing conflicting or contrasting parts of a sentence. Here, you contrast “annoying” with “bug,” a fairly fine distinction….
Dan
Here’s what I mean: There’s no real reason you should be bothered. But, the fact that it shouldn’t bother you doesn’t keep it from bothering you, and it would bother me as well.
Kermit
Ohhhhhh…you’re contrasting the visible fragment with the invisible sentence. Now I understand.
Kermit
You comfort me with your feats of lingual gymnastics.
Dan
I comfort you by allowing you to annoy me.