4th foul

[Back In The Saddle]

At this point we agree. Unless I had had multiple wives, and I was with the first one at that moment, there is no reason to say it like that. And since I'm the sort of guy who likes to say stuff like that just to mess with people, I guarantee you I would be implying something. But whether or not you "get" what I'm implying depends on your ability to infer what I'm implying. It's a safe bet my wife would get the implication, however, and what I'd "get" after that would be pain. Lots of pain.

[Scratch85]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

English. Learn it. Use it. Love it.

–verb (used with object)
1. to derive by reasoning; conclude or judge from premises or evidence: They inferred his displeasure from his cool tone of voice.
2. (of facts, circumstances, statements, etc.) to indicate or involve as a conclusion; lead to.
3. to guess; speculate; surmise.
4. to hint; imply; suggest.
–verb (used without object)
5. to draw a conclusion, as by reasoning.


"The fifth foul should be a good one" is merely a statement. It implies nothing about the earlier four fouls. You have chosen to infer something about the earlier four fouls from the statement that simply is not there.

Originally Posted by mbyron

BITS, you're insisting on a purely logical sense of implication, when in fact most people rely on a looser notion known as "conversational implicature." The latter explains, for example, why your wife might be justifiably upset if you began introducing her as your "first wife" (assuming you've had just one!).

Nothing follows logically about second or third wives, but everyone would (reasonably) draw the inference.

Are you guys being pedantic?

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Scratch85

Are you guys being pedantic?

Why, are you anti-pedantic?

Sometimes a well-placed distinction permits people to see that an apparent disagreement is really about different concepts, which allows both sides to be right about their own concept. Then everybody wins.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Why, are you anti-pedantic?

Sometimes a well-placed distinction permits people to see that an apparent disagreement is really about different concepts, which allows both sides to be right about their own concept. Then everybody wins.

All I can say is: Huh?