8 April 2019 - never said before

Jay Scott : Daily Whale : archive : 2019 : 8 April 2019

A Claim Still Sometimes Heard

believer: Most sentences have never been said before.
skeptic: Do you tell that to everybody?
believer: Er, my sentence might be an exception.
skeptic: Yeah, right.

clue:

In everyday conversation, many sentences are formulas, and most others are short. Books may be different.

take oh take this clue away