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[xkcd] Ballmer Peak (1 Oct 2007)
(programming.dev)
Hover Text:
Apple uses automated schnapps IVs.
Transcript
[A graph with "programming skill" on the Y-axis and "blood alcohol concentration" on the X-axis. The Y-axis slowly goes down, but spikes at 0.1337%.]
[Cueball is making a presentation with the graph.]
Cueball: Called the Ballmer Peak, it was discovered by Microsoft in the 80's. The cause is unknown but somehow a B.A.C between 0.129% and 0.138% confers superhuman programming ability.
Cueball: However, it's a delicate effect requiring careful calibration – you can't just give a team of coders a year's supply of whiskey and tell them to get cracking.
Spectator: ...Has that ever happened?
Cueball: Remember Windows ME?
Spectator: I knew it!
It's both. Your inhibitions are lower so you speak more naturally and use more words without consideration of correctness which, if you think about it, is fine generally. Native speakers of a language are amazingly good at deduction of what a non native speaker is intending. You also don't pay attention to your mistakes, which makes the conversation flow easier for everyone.
For me, it's also a matter speaking louder - I have a (normal, I think) tendency to say things I'm unsure of quieter, so sometimes I've mumbled something that was correct (or correct enough) causing the very communication problems I was worried about.