isn't it the "hair" (as in straw) that broke the camel's back?

what would a hare (like a rabbit) be doing on a camel's back anyway? catching a zippy ride trying to beat the tortoise?

anyway .......

There's no doubt about it, Fay brought some "hare-raising" developments to south Florida's water cycle.

And yes, sorry for mixing metaphors, ... but keep in mind, the use metaphors is among the most powerful literary techniques that we possess, and is an especially handy way to translate archane numbers into a more lucid story line.

Next time I use such a mixed metaphor, I will try to include an actual sketch of a "Hare" sitting on a "Camel's back". That's an excellent idea.

Could anyone with artistic talent provide such a sketch?

But trust me, camels are a very difficult animal to draw: all my initial attempts produced a strange creature that looked vaguely llama-like.

The good news is that I opted to stick with the camel/hare/tortoise mixed metaphor, without inclusion of a camel in the sketch ... as opposed to also working the llama into the story line.

THAT would have really confused readers, not to mention confuse me.

Many thanks for sharing your thoughts.

So the horrendously tortured play on words captured the imagination of rsobscak.

Do you think the NDN editor who wrote that mess weighed the number who would scratch their heads in confusion and decided near-universal dismay was a small price to pay for one reader's pleasure?

cabbagepalm:

I'm guessing you're right. I doubted it initially, only because I assumed someone worth 25 a year (or whatever Scripps pays its gatekeepers) would know how to spell hair-raising. Jack rabbits are hares, but the Florida marsh rabbit is not, so that would seem to be grounds to avoid such overreaching.

But a paper that pays Brent Batten to write a column is not going to reach for the stars when it hires for its copy desk. Silly me for expecting it to demand more than a passing acquaintance with the language.

CLARIFICATION:

I ASSUME the NDN pays Brent. It is not outside the realm of possibility that Brent has a rich mom who rents space from Scripps so he can pretend he's Jimmy Olsen.