Not as good as the last time.

A Senior- in charge, used to state “not as good as the last time” on completion of a particular 'Finishing operation'.

This was repeated, as time (and the 'Finishing operation') went by.

One fine day, the 'Finishing operation' was completed and the dim-wits and long-faces in the facility kept to their counsel as the statement was being made (yet again!).

Finally,one of the dim-wits picked up some courage and argued stating “not as good as the last time” is a feeling and a qualitative statement. It can differ from person to person. He further asked “If to-morrow you are not there and I have to decide, how do I, draw upon from your feeling of not as good as the last time?”

The stony silence that followed effectively brought down the curtain on “Not as good as the last time”.

[The narrative though set in a specific environment , could have taken place in an adhesives testing lab. This setting helps the reader spin their own yarn :) ]