Interpretation of words!

7 Dec 2008

Quote by flower411
Sometimes it`s fun to twist the meanings of words and phrases and doesn`t always involve trolling, ...

Selective quote to clear up a misunderstanding I created rolleyes

. I wasn't suggesting that twisting the meaning of words is trolling. Twisting words is one of my pleasures in life. It is the deliberate creation of an argument arising from ambiguity or perversity without using emoticons that is trolling. There's usually an 'angler' and a 'fish' in these situations. Why people can't say 'No I'm sorry I didn't mean that' or 'I'm sorry I thought you meant...' beats me.
I agree sensible use of emoticons is vital as it does convey some of the body language.
.

7 Dec 2008

Quote by flower411
All too often we all know what was meant by a certain comment but the poster will use the fact that it can be taken both ways as an invitation to say it means the opposite to the way it is taken....

No you can't ever "know". Invariably your conclusion will depend on what side of an argument/debate you're coming from.
Just because you think you know what the person actually meant does not mean either that you're correct or that he/she's changed the meaning of what they initially said.
Sometimes it just suits one's purpose to try to read something into what was said when all the time there wasn't actually anything there other that what was actually said. It does no good to use your own values as an aid in understanding someone else's words.
But you said that we can know what is meant because we can just look up the words in a dictionary and hey presto!!
Prevents misunderstandings, with the flags and stuff.
Dictionaries only define words, they don't define sentences. Neither do they give meaning to the way words are combined.

7 Dec 2008

Quote by flower411
All too often we all know what was meant by a certain comment but the poster will use the fact that it can be taken both ways as an invitation to say it means the opposite to the way it is taken....

No you can't ever "know". Invariably your conclusion will depend on what side of an argument/debate you're coming from.
Just because you think you know what the person actually meant does not mean either that you're correct or that he/she's changed the meaning of what they initially said.
Sometimes it just suits one's purpose to try to read something into what was said when all the time there wasn't actually anything there other that what was actually said. It does no good to use your own values as an aid in understanding someone else's words.
But you said that we can know what is meant because we can just look up the words in a dictionary and hey presto!!
Prevents misunderstandings, with the flags and stuff.
Dictionaries only define words, they don't define sentences. Neither do they give meaning to the way words are combined.
I love it when you finally realise that everybody else was right all along !! :thumbup:
It takes a big person to admit they were wrong ..
Well done :cheers:
Yes it does, but alas it doesn't encompass me just yet. If memory serves me correctly my comments in the past have related to specific highlighted words rather than to sentences. In the past my meanings have been subjected to scrutiny and comment. The ambiguity has been related to specific words and their definition which is where the dictionary comes in. I still believe that if one sticks to the dictionary definition of words then it can help to clear up misunderstandings though I will certainly agree that this can't be the case 100% of the time.
I hope that clears that up for you as you seem to have a bee in your bonnet over this issue. No doubt though, you'll make another post on the matter at some point in the future. I shall await it with bated breathe and an opened copy of the OED.

8 Dec 2008

Quote by Peanut
All too often we all know what was meant by a certain comment but the poster will use the fact that it can be taken both ways as an invitation to say it means the opposite to the way it is taken....

No you can't ever "know". Invariably your conclusion will depend on what side of an argument/debate you're coming from.
Just because you think you know what the person actually meant does not mean either that you're correct or that he/she's changed the meaning of what they initially said.
Sometimes it just suits one's purpose to try to read something into what was said when all the time there wasn't actually anything there other that what was actually said. It does no good to use your own values as an aid in understanding someone else's words.
But you said that we can know what is meant because we can just look up the words in a dictionary and hey presto!!
Prevents misunderstandings, with the flags and stuff.
Dictionaries only define words, they don't define sentences. Neither do they give meaning to the way words are combined.
I love it when you finally realise that everybody else was right all along !! :thumbup:
It takes a big person to admit they were wrong ..
Well done :cheers:
Yes it does, but alas it doesn't encompass me just yet. If memory serves me correctly my comments in the past have related to specific highlighted words rather than to sentences. In the past my meanings have been subjected to scrutiny and comment. The ambiguity has been related to specific words and their definition which is where the dictionary comes in. I still believe that if one sticks to the dictionary definition of words then it can help to clear up misunderstandings though I will certainly agree that this can't be the case 100% of the time.
I hope that clears that up for you as you seem to have a bee in your bonnet over this issue. No doubt though, you'll make another post on the matter at some point in the future. I shall await it with bated breathe and an opened copy of the OED.
Is that your interpretation of what the poster has written?
How do you know that is what is meant?
Are you not just making assumptions?
Exactly why I wrote this post, how can you, we, really be sure what is meant
dunno

8 Dec 2008

Quote by Theladyisaminx
Is that your interpretation of what the poster has written?
How do you know that is what is meant?
Are you not just making assumptions?
Exactly why I wrote this post, how can you, we, really be sure what is meant

Not an interpretation, merely a counting up of how many times it has come up and been thrown in my direction.
Even I will admit that one doesn't need a dictionary to be able to count.

8 Dec 2008

An Abacus helps....or for the people of today that trusted old thing called a calculator.
bolt

8 Dec 2008

Quote by kentswingers777
An Abacus helps....or for the people of today that trusted old thing called a calculator.

So your denying the people of tomorrow and those from before a say are you 77 typical bloody typical. Even gaunty wouldn't go as far as that. rolleyes

8 Dec 2008

Quote by flower411
An Abacus helps....or for the people of today that trusted old thing called a calculator.

So your denying the people of tomorrow and those from before a say are you 77 typical bloody typical. Even gaunty wouldn't go as far as that. rolleyes

I think he is lost !! :roll:
I thought I knew what he meant when he said "calculator" as well, but I looked it up in the dictionary and now I`m not so sure ...
Is he talking about a person who calculates or a small electronic device for making calculations ??? dunno

How very calculating of you.

8 Dec 2008

I do not know what I meant Flower. It must be there is nothing to get me teeth into on the forums, so must be getting withdrawel symptoms. lol

Still am sure something will come up soon.....where's GNV when I need him? :lol: