Semantics

Pondering the power of language…

I was reading Julie Garwood (Heartbreaker) yesterday and came across this piece of dialogue between two characters.  I found it amusing:

Him:  You wear your skirts too short.

Her:  No, I don’t.

After a contemplative pause…

Him:  (Grinning)  Okay, then you wear your legs too long.

I had to smile when I read this. It’s a classic example of, “It’s not *what* you say; it’s *how* you say it.”  Inflection aside (Are you talking to me? as opposed to Are YOU talking to ME?!?!), the way we couch our terms makes a huge difference in how our statements are received.  ‘Intellectual Intercourse’ conjures different images than ‘Mind Fuck’, for example.

And sometimes *playing* with words can mask the fact that you’re just plain *playing*.  Period.  Keep this in mind if someone happens to tell you they’re doing chemistry homework on a Friday night… Odds are, they’re at a speed dating event.  ‘Chemistry’, indeed!  😉