Is a broken clock really correct twice a day?

By definition, a broken clock is no longer a clock.

But a broken escalator is still a set of stairs.

It only holds up, if the clock displays a time. An actual time, and not darkness, or all 8’s….

It’s a saying about perception.

The expression is a lot older than electric and battery-powered clocks. So no, it doesn’t apply to those.

The puzzle was always how you know when those two moments occur.

@cookieman yes, but a broken escalator is no longer an escalator. Nor is it a mechanized elevator.

Newton would say – A clock at rest is always at rest. A clock in motion is probably running late!
Einstein would say – that clock is experiencing some serious time dilation issues!

@Jeruba I agree. And it wasn’t “a broken clock” it was “a stopped clock. Not that they weren’t virtually the same.”

@janbb, you are right. And stopped because it wasn’t wound. I used to wind my alarm clock every night, didn’t you? And of course my watch.