The insurance on homosexual in the war machine that the Department of Defense bring in 1993 had four directives : Do n’t involve , do n’t tell , do n’t pursue , and do n’t harass . In the very beginning it was occasionally referred to as the “ do n’t ask , do n’t state , do n’t follow ” policy , but the name rapidly settled into the pithy two part , four word expression that we are all familiar with .
“ Do n’t ask , do n’t assure ” primed utterly into a common English idiom structure , one where two parallel clauses are reduced to their essence so as to make some kind of big , meaningful instruction about the way of the populace . Some examples include :
In fact , this is a common idiom structure in other languages as well . Chinese chengyu , for instance , are four character locution like “ one day , thousand autumns ” ( meaning everything is changing so tight , that one solar day is like a 1,000 years ) .
The structure has a very satisfying balance to it . It lets you have got two ideas up for review in a thickset linguistic thought space . When they are reconcile in that tiny outer space , a bigger , more complicated idea comes through . " Do n’t expect , do n’t tell " became a utile path to say “ we will agree to not ask about it and will depend the other way , if you fit in not to recount us about it , making it inconveniently impossible for us to profess we do n’t bang . ” It has been two years since “ do n’t inquire , do n’t tell ” was repeal as a military policy , but it seems to have taken up residence in our depot of quick - made expressions for goodness , which is not surprising , consider how compactly it captures a particular common solidification of circumstance .
Here are eight spot where the idiomatical meaning of the idiom has proved useful .
1. Someone is intentionally looking the other way so as not to be implicated.
As inthis article , titled “ Dominique Strauss - Kahn has a Do n’t require , Do n’t differentiate Policy Re : Whether a Woman is a Hooker or Not . ”
Or inthis article , asking Whole Foods to finish its “ do n’t ask , do n’t tell ” insurance about food potentially develop in sewerage sludge .
2. Two actors are complicit in getting away with something because neither one is talking about it.
As inthis clause , lay claim President Obama is not talking about occupation because the pressure is not asking him about jobs .
3. If you know, you’re not going to like it, so don’t ask.
This recipefor “ Do n’t require , do n’t tell ” cooky includes sauerkraut as an ingredient . Shhh !
Froma postabout eat in China : “ The other custom in China that many of us have worry ‘ stomaching ’ is eating every part of an animal , or feeding insect , or strange creatures . This include intestines , metrical foot , eyes etc . If we are true to our ‘ do n’t ask , do n’t tell philosophy ’ of adventurous feeding , we often see that we enjoy the flavor and go for minute . "
4. There is information you have a right to know, but it won’t be disclosed unless you ask for it.
As inthis articleabout “ Do n’t take , Do n’t Tell Bank Fees . ”
Or this gaming substance table comment : “ If I am right , the gamestop guarantee is reasonably much a do nt call for do nt order thing . Cause i know its that style on xboxs they will replace then for you as long as its within the year ”
5. If you can’t deal with answers, don’t ask the questions.
From anadvice columninMen ’s Fitness :
6. There is a question of whether to disclose information that could be held against you.
Used as a championship of articles about say your employer aboutdyslexiaordepression .
7. There is information you might want to know, but no one has to tell you, even if you ask.
The phrase is used a destiny in articles about intellectual nourishment labeling where it has been decided that labeling is not required , such as,“FDA : Do n’t Ask , Do n’t Tell on Cloned Meat”and“GM Food : Do n’t Ask , Do n’t Tell ? ”
8. General catchall for “looking the other way.”
As seen in various random message add-in :
“ Yeah , legality is a do nt ask do nt tell matter around where I subsist . There are no emanation laws thank the car god ”
“ everyone else has quat and there s even a few dogs , the landlady kind of told her it was more of a do nt require do nt tell matter ”
“ I do nt believe anyone received permission from the landowners , ever . It is lam as a ‘ do nt ask do nt tell ’ affair that gain everyone all around . the climber have good anchor and the landowners still have nothing to do with the climbers(no financial obligation ) . ”
… and apparently common in families :
“ Husband works out of town we have an open human relationship we know we both have needs its kind of a do nt ask do nt tell affair ”
“ me and my parents are kind of on a do nt ask do nt tell affair when it comes to smoking ”
“ I be intimate my children roll in the hay - but we do a ‘ do nt ask do nt state ’ thing ”
