One can only assume that, like the Zen masters of old, he is employing a koan to trigger a blast of insight on the part of the student, whom the master has judiciously estimated is ready for such an epiphany.
I was recently the recipient of one such pearl, in response to my lengthy musings on idle vacuum and its relation to ignition timing. Colin responded with the brief:
It is entirely my failing that I was unable to grok his message, but that's the risk you take when seeking enlightenment: sometimes the switch doesn't flip.A retarded spark reduces intake vacuum exactly at valve overlap, the exhaust pulse is much stronger.
But I thought it would be a good start for a discussion thread on "wisdom by one-liners". Anyone have any other epiphany-inducing gems handed down to them by Colin? Or anyone else, for that matter?