While a coworker has been on maternity leave, I’ve been doing the pre-publication review of agency rulemakings. It’s been fun. And sometimes there are really great errors. Like “diffuse a fight” instead of “defuse a fight.” It keeps my mind sharp.

Today I reviewed some rules about condoms. Yes, I’m giving away a little bit more detail than I usually do, because context is everything in this missed opportunity.

The agency wrote this correctly. But wouldn’t it have been great had they written it as follows, incorrectly?

“The expiration date must be supported by data demonstrating physical and mechanical integrity of the product [condom] after three discreet and representative lots…have been subjected to each of the following conditions.”

That would have been a fantastic error.