How not to give a presentation.

At first glance, some papers seemed to have addressedthe important topic of a real comparison of apples and oranges. Table 3 reveals the truth. This article, certain to become the classic in the field, clearly demonstrates that apples and oranges are not only comparable; indeed they are quite similar. The admonition “Let’s not compare apples with oranges” should be replaced immediately with a more appropriate expression such as “Let’s not compare walnuts with elephants” or “Let’s not compare tumour necrosis factor with linguini.” This paper was presented in part as the presidential address at the Connecticut Society of American Board Surgeons, December 1998. Funding: None. Competing interests: None declared.