Confused in Texas

My wife and I are cable news junkies. About 70% of cable news is political talk and political coverage and I guess that makes us political junkies as well.
I don’t ‘do’ politics in this blog because I consider it too easy and also because of my junkie habit I am often bloated with opinions, which will be readily supported or argued with depending on your pre-determined viewpoint, so what’s the point really.
However, some political junkie language naturally slips into our vocabulary. In the case of a conversation with my wife last night an overworked phrase slipped in. It went like this:

Wife: I can’t believe she is always coming up with these problems. It’s always some damn thing with her. The only problem is Dr. Smith (her boss) can’t ever understand she is causing the problem.

Rick: He’s a pretty smart guy. Why can’t he figure it out?

Wife: She’s a very good politician. She always thinks of a way to conceal that she is causing the problem. It’s like they say about politicians, she creates ‘deniable plausibility’ in everything she stirs up!

Rick: silence (head spinning searching for comprehension)

Wife: What’s the matter, did you forget how to form words again? Did you miss your meds?

Rick: Uh.....no....did you mean ‘plausible deniability’?

Wife: Yes, its S.T.O.D.

Rick: Huh? What do you mean it’s S.T.O.D?

Wife: You know, “same thing only different.”

Rick: Sweetie I think it’s more different than the same, anyway what the heck can be the same but different?

Wife: Well, it’s like a bag or a sack.

Rick: Huh?

Wife: A bag or a sack does the same thing at the grocery store, but they are different.

Rick: If they do the same thing they are the same.

Wife: No, they’re actually different. A bag is made of paper and a sack is made of plastic.

Rick: But they do the same thing!

Wife: Exactly, now you get it, that’s what I mean! Anyway don’t worry about it cuz those phrases are S.T.O.D.


Now I am sitting here worrying about this in violation of my little buddys orders.

Hmmm....’plausible deniability’ vs ‘deniable plausibility’....different or the same?

I now have a new question for the college entrance SAT exam, I just don’t know the damn answer! According to my wife all of the above (a) and (b) are correct, meaning the answer is (c).

I think there is not a real word such as ‘deniability’. But then I am also pretty sure there is no ‘S.T.O.D’. I regret the SAT leaves no room for an essay answer.

My head hurts........see ya later..........or sooner...........doesn’t matter really......it’s the same thing only different.