This Page Left Blank

[Donnie B.]

Here's one Gillian will appreciate.

In the manual for a piece of electronics gear, I found a page bearing the inscription:

This page left intentionally blank.


So how different would an accidentally blank page look? :lol:

[Fazor]

Makes sense, or else you'd get a bunch of people freaking out thinking they're missing a page of dirrections.

But, isn't the "This page left intentionally blank" self-defeating, as it's no longer blank?

[01101001]

Wikipedia: Intentionally blank page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intentionally_blank_page)

[Nowhere Man]

I have at least once, when I needed to insert a page to make the document format nicely, wrote "This page unintentionally left blank."

Fred

[Gillianren]

"Written."

But yes, "this page intentionally left blank" has amused me for years. There was at least one page of it on pretty much every standardized test I've ever taken. I understand why it says that, and I honestly can't think of anything that makes more sense to fill the page with, but it's still kind of silly.

[MentalAvenger]

The technical manuals for our Navy Fire Control Radar had pages which said CONFIDENTIAL on the top, SECRET on the bottom, and THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK in the middle.top, SECRET on the bottom, and THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK in the middle.

I don’t think we have to worry unless we find a page that says THIS PAGE ACCIDENTLY LEFT BLANK. :)

[mike alexander]

I have pages like that in my brain.

[Noclevername]

In French instructions, do they say "THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BANK?"

[man on the moon]

In French instructions, do they say "THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BANK?"

No, but when translated poorly could translate back to English as "This aide left empty casing purposefully..." and might be part of a police report instead of...a whatever.

Pun...never mind, I'll leave it to you to determine intention!

[Noclevername]

I understand why it says that, and I honestly can't think of anything that makes more sense to fill the page with, but it's still kind of silly.

"Don't look here!"

[Jim]

"Skip this page."

I was thinking "There is no useful information here" but I've read instruction manuals that could have used that as the title page.

[Nowhere Man]

"written"

Yeah, I originally typed "left" instead of "wrote," and then changed it without proofreading.

"Do not read this page under penalty of law."

Fred

[Noclevername]

"vision Test: Blink If You Can Read This."

[Jens]

But, isn't the "This page left intentionally blank" self-defeating, as it's no longer blank?

Well I suppose it could read:

"This page was left intentionally blank, although as you can see it was unintentionally left non-blank by the presence of this notice that was originally supposed to indicate that the page was blank."

But I think that would leave many readers scratching their heads.

[Argos]

Wikipedia: Intentionally blank page (http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intentionally_blank_page)

Wikipedia: Intentionally blank page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intentionally_blank_page)

There was a typo in 01101001´s URL

[Donnie B.]

Actually, in the OP I was trying to point out the unusual phrasing "left intentionally blank" rather than "intentionally left blank" or "left blank intentionally".

If it's a book about ballet, would it be "intentionally Left Banke"? (Two points if you get that reference!)

I write manuals once in a while, too. I have marked empty pages with "This page is almost blank." I've had a lot of chuckles from my colleagues who spotted that!

[toejam]

The technical manuals for our Navy Fire Control Radar had pages which said CONFIDENTIAL on the top, SECRET on the bottom, and THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK in the middle.top, SECRET on the bottom, and THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK in the middle.

I don’t think we have to worry unless we find a page that says THIS PAGE ACCIDENTLY LEFT BLANK. :)

Some years ago in the R.A.F. I saw a "SECRET" pamphlet the first page of which stated:

THIS PAMPHLET, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN PUBLISHED, IS HEREBY CANCELLED.


There followed somw 20 pages of printed matter.

[Paul Beardsley]

"This page contains no information other than the information about the lack of information."

"The blank space above and below this statement is intentional."

"This page is intentionally left blank and there is no need to read on. If you are reading on, be advised that literally billions of people have made the observation that the very presence of this message means the page is not blank, but most of them have just let it go. Only a very few of those billions of people have so much time on their hands that they can afford to have a giggle and indulge in thoughts about metatextuality. (Honestly, there is no need to read on.) Or is that self-referentiality? Frankly I don't care. People who do it think they are being oh so postmodern, not realising that it's old and obvious. (See if you can find a stage comedy from the Renaissance that doesn't have a character liken the current situation to that of a stage comedy.) Gosh, this is really starting to fill the page, isn't it? At this rate, it's going to have to change to 'These pages are intentionally blank and there is no need to read on.' And there really is no need. Stop now. Please! Or perhaps I should stop. There, I've stopped."

[01101001]

There was a typo in 01101001´s URL

Thanks. Fixed.

Free scratch paper:



























.

[MentalAvenger]

Write THIS PAGE ACCIDENTLY LEFT BLANK in invisible ink. :)

[danscope]

Why not write: " For your notes ." N'est pas?
Best regards, Dan

[danscope]

Why not write: " For your notes ."
Best regards, Dan

[Noclevername]

"FOR NO EYES ONLY"



Grr, stupid no-allcaps feature!

[HenrikOlsen]

"This page is a placeholder"?