a diet of facts

Question

When you use the expression "a diet of facts," does it have a bad connotation? What you are trying to say is close in meaning to "a lot of," but you want to add a bad connatation such as "mandane?"

Here is an example. The kind of history we were taught at school was a queer sort of stuff, and it tried to nourish us on a diet of facts.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

teacherJapanWhen you use the expression "a diet of facts,"

I don't.

teacherJapandoes it have a bad connotation?

It really has no connotation to me.

teacherJapanhat you are trying to say is close in meaning to "a lot of," but you want to add a bad connatation such as "mandane?"

'mandane'?

teacherJapanHere is an example. The kind of history we were taught at school was a queer sort of stuff, and it tried to nourish us on a diet of facts.

Historical facts just do not seem queer to me. 'A diet of lies' would be a better metaphor, but of course in another context. (But it is 'lies' that would be negative, not 'diet'.)

TeacherJapan · Answer

I see. Thank you very much:)

GPY · Answer

teacherJapanHere is an example. The kind of history we were taught at school was a queer sort of stuff, and it tried to nourish us on a diet of facts.

In this particular example it has a rather negative connotation to me, implying that students were not encouraged to analyse the facts or form any opinions about them, but just to learn them by rote.

CalifJim · Answer

teacherJapanWhat you are trying to say is close in meaning to "a lot of,"

Not really. "diet" is chosen as a metaphoric complement of "nourish", not because it means "a lot of".

CJ

TeacherJapan · Answer

I see!!!  Ah! I wish you had been my professor back in college:) Thank you very much:)

TeacherJapan · Answer

Thank you everyone for always helping me and giving me new insights:)

a diet of facts

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