Just A Minute

On Wednesday, February 6, 2008, at 07:09 AM, Robert L. Torres wrote:

> After gaining some rather insightful information as to the origins of
> the phrase 'hoist with his own petard', I thought I might address the
> notion of another overly used phrase in Just a Minute.... 'Benefit of
> the Doubt'.

I can't tell whether you really are unsure what the phrase means - it
may be more of an English phrase but it is widely used in sports. For
example in cricket it's intended to mean that if it's a 50-50 call for
the umpire, the benefit of the doubt goes to the batsman.

All Nicholas is saying that the decision could go either way, or that
there are good arguments on both sides.

He uses it to let someone down gently I think in the same way that he
almost always now says someone is in a "magnificent fourth place" even
if they've only got three points. I think the humour in it is that he
does over-use it and it has become something of a cliche. It's part of
his style and personally I think it shows he's basically a kind-hearted
man who doesn't like to let someone down, and puts him in a good light.

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