[itsoktocry]

>is that just playing with words?

It conveys reality, that "fail-safe" isn't literal, as if anyone believed that.

[2-718-281-828]

I mean it has to be play with words or tongue in cheek simply b/c the assumption of a fail-safe system failing is already contradictory. So you cannot say anything smart about that beyond - there are no fail-safe systems that fail.

[seeking_future]

The real world is the play. Words are just catching up.

[Talanes]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_Lyon_rail_accident

Fail safes do fail. Often due to severe user error.

[frupert52]

Do you mean in that it fails by failing to be the thing that it purports to be? Making it no longer that thing? At what point does bread become toast?