I Did Not Say He Stole My Money.
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
United Kingdom
August 1, 2016 6:34pm CST
It's interesting that the way we stress certain words can completely change what we are trying to say. Have a look at this:
I did not say he stole my money. ((someone else said it?)
I did not SAY he stole my money. (I emailed or messaged it?)
I did not say HE stole my money. (I think someone else did?)
I did not say he STOLE my money. (He borrowed it perhaps?)
I did not say he stole MY money. ( He stole someone else's?)
I did not say he stole my MONEY. (He stole something else?)
So that is 6 different interpretations of the same words. It just shows how misunderstandings can occur, and it can apply to the written word as well. I was attending a marketing meeting and this subject came up, so I thought I'd share it with you.
How often have you read something in a different way from the way the writer intended, or had something you've written been taken the wrong way by someone else?
69 people like this
72 responses
@koopharper (7463)
• Canada
2 Aug 16
I've been on both ends of this many times. Clarity when writing can sometimes be elusive.
4 people like this
@koopharper (7463)
• Canada
2 Aug 16
@jaboUK I used to avoid them but I do find they help convey what I'm trying to say. Especially when I'm being facetious which happens quite a lot.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@koopharper They are especially useful when we are not being serious, aren't they?
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@koopharper You are right - I find the emoticons useful to soften my words sometimes, as I know I can come across as a bit brusque. 
5 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
2 Aug 16
taxin' my brain cells, eh? lol, i'd the need to read this several times. not that'cha didn't put such clearly, jest the brain's misfirin' 'gain :) yepperz, i've no doubt i'm guilty 'f such - both ends 'f that candle. tends to occur with the hiccups?? i get snarky 'n sometimes jest don't make not a lick 'f sense...e'en to myself when i go back'n read the dribbles i've left. thankfully folks like yerself seem to ignore this, lol. big 
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@crazyhorseladycx Being misunderstood happens to us all sometimes - someone even blocked me and reported me on Bubblews because they'd thought I was casting aspersions about them. It got sorted with apologies all round, but it was rather uncomfortable at the time.
I don't think you've offended anyone though
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@crazyhorseladycx The one I had a problem with on Bubblews was English would you believe , so we couldn't blame cultural differences there. She completely misinterpreted what I said and went ballistic. She did apologise afterwards and admitted she hadn't been feeling well at the time. I apologised too for causing her pain, and we were friends again.
If people don't like your 'dribbles' that's their loss.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
2 Aug 16
@jaboUK what?? this'd be the first i've heard'f such. i dunno how anybody could be offended by what'cha pen? but then ya toss'n cultural diff'rences/language usage 'n i reckon such's possible? dependin' 'n what sorta mood the other party might be'n.
oh, i offend lots 'f folks ~ mainly with jest the fact that i dribble funny 
. some've e'en said so 't that 'other place' 'n also here. they don't wish me to leave my 'non-english' scattered 'n their lovely discussions, so i refrain...most oft anyhow. 'tis a pity, coz i enjoy their writin'. life's too short to ponder such though
big hugs 'n love comin' at'cha from 'cross the pond, dear lady!
. some've e'en said so 't that 'other place' 'n also here. they don't wish me to leave my 'non-english' scattered 'n their lovely discussions, so i refrain...most oft anyhow. 'tis a pity, coz i enjoy their writin'. life's too short to ponder such though
big hugs 'n love comin' at'cha from 'cross the pond, dear lady!1 person likes this
@rebelann (111073)
• El Paso, Texas
2 Aug 16
Oh yes, it happens so often. The written word is worse because we cannot see the inflections where it was intended. I've had a tough time with that and am still learning how to write to make my point clear ..... that's always so much easier said then done for me.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Aug 16
i remember writing 'i can understand...' but it seems the responder misread it as 'i can't understand...' and proceeded to explain something to me. so now, i write 'it's understandable.'
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@hereandthere Yes - people do tend to skim over things and the 't' they miss can be all important.
2 people like this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
2 Aug 16
@jaboUK The written word may convey different meanings.Interesting.But when say it ,the correct meaning often gets conveyed.
2 people like this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
2 Aug 16
@jaboUK Hope you did not have the occasion to say this about anybody.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@silvermist Lol no, It's purely an example
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@silvermist Yes it's a lot easier when we can actually hear what's being said - tone of voice and where the emphasis is placed makes things a lot clearer.
2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60293)
• Perth, Australia
6 Feb 17
@jaboUK Yeah this is why I like to actually talk things out if it's something important so you can hear the tone of voice. Rather than typing. And emphasising certain words can help to figure out the meaning too.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
7 Feb 17
@VivaLaDani13 Yes, tone and emphasis can convey far more than the written word.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
10 Aug 16
Yes, you're right! Sometimes the way we write and the way we read, we can interpret differently.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
10 Aug 16
@jaboUK Yes, I can see that happening too :) Depends on how we read it and same as we say it too!
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
10 Aug 16
@infatuatedbby That is so true, I've had several people misunderstand what I meant, and it's happened the other way round too.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
3 Aug 16
@LadyDuck That's interesting about your husband teaching marketing courses. This post came about because I had to attend a marketing meeting because of my work at the racecourse.
It was basically about customer relations and was pretty boring apart from when they started talking about the emphasis on certain words making such a difference. I found that interesting, so thought myLotters might too.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Aug 16
That reminds me of an old joke that circulated in the late 1970's after the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant meltdown in the U.S. The joke was "You can never add too much water to the reactor." Well, darn, did that mean that if you add too much water it's bad for the reactor, or you can add as much water as you want and it wouldn't hurt the reactor?
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@moffittjc That is a classic example of what I'm talking about here. It makes perfect sense whichever way you read it - do you know which one is right?
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@moffittjc Right - thanks for all that info.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Aug 16
@jaboUK I think neither one is right, which is what made the joke so funny. If you don't add enough water, you get a nuclear meltdown and uncontrolled chain reaction. If you add too much water, you essentially kill the nuclear reaction taking place in the centrifuges. It's a very careful balancing act of know exactly how much water to add!
When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan several years back and triggered the meltdown of their nuclear power plant, they had to figure out quickly how to pump fresh water into the reactors to cool them down to prevent a complete meltdown. Apparently, only fresh water works, as saltwater from the ocean is too corrosive or something like that.
1 person likes this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
7 Aug 16
Not so much in writing lately, although when I first started playing on the internet yes. I get into more trouble with what I say when I speak. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've decided I must take a lifelong vow of silence....
Was it something I said? I no longer even bother to ask the question.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
7 Aug 16
@blitzfrick You are prone to putting your foot in it?
1 person likes this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
7 Aug 16
@jaboUK Oh, I generally leap in with both feet and land up to my ears in it.
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
2 Aug 16
This was very good....and no misinterpretations about it .
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@responsiveme I'm glad you think so Arundhati
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
2 Aug 16
@responsiveme Yes, I know about that, though I've not actually read it.
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
2 Aug 16
@jaboUK I did. Theres this book ---eats shoots and leaves---- about punctuation.
1 person likes this
