Many years and several lifetimes ago, or so it seems, I was a freshman in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University. Freshmen weren't allowed to answer a question with, "I don't know." Instead, part of our indoctrination was to give the following response:
"Sir/Ma'am, not being informed to the highest degree of accuracy I hesitate to articulate for fear that I might deviate from the true course of rectitude. In short Sir/Ma'am, I am a very dumb fish, and do not know, Sir/Ma'am!"
We weren't allowed to think, either. We could cogitate all we wanted, just not think, especially for ourselves. In fact, when asked what one thought by an upperclassman, the programmed response was to be, "Sir/Ma'am, it's not a fish privilege to think, Sir/Ma'am." None of the above, and so much more, applied when one was permitted to speak like a white man or when conversing with a drop-handle buddy. Just a tidbit of one school's campusology.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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