astercontrol:

Sure I’m glad that im alive and Dick Cheney isn’t, but saying “outlive” never seems quite right in these situations

when you say that you out-performed someone in any comparison, it usually implies that you had similar starting points, that neither of you got hugely unfair advantages, and that both of you are done doing whatever it was you were competing in

…gonna outdrink you in a beer drinking contest. By showing up six hours later than you, when you’ve been drinking all day. You had unlimited funds and unlimited time and everyone cheering you on the whole time and giving you whatever help you needed, and you managed to drink four dozen beers, but you did finally pass out and got taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning after I arrived. I’ve had two beers and am reaching my limit and can’t afford any more beer anyway so there’s no chance I’ll even begin to approach your number… but hey, I’m still drinking and you’re not, so that means i outdrank you, right?

I guess.

Obituaries don’t say that the deceased’s younger relatives “outlived” them.

They tend to say “survived” – like, “he is survived by his daughter and two grandsons” – which always seems funny to me as well. Like staying alive during this guy’s life was some sort of heroic feat his family accomplished.

I survived Dick Cheney. Yep that sounds better.