This “type of thinking” sure seems very accurate to me.
In particular, the third paragraph quoted above seems spectacularly accurate, e.g. the euphemism treadmill.
OK, but I claim there is a difference between “literally” and a mere intensifier.
Also, people who can’t tell the difference between “A->B” and “A, and also B” are pretty frustrating to talk to.
I’m not sure this is quite true. Just because every utterance produces a ‘cloud of implicature’ doesn’t mean ‘literal meaning’ isn’t also a component of the signal.
And, in practice, it doesn’t seem like there is any general way to distinguish the cloud from the literal meaning. One problem being which literal meaning should be considered the literal meaning?
I totally agree that the literal meaning is a component.
I agree that there isn’t some general method to distinguish the cloud from the literal meaning, or pick out which literal meaning, but I claim people do anyway, sometimes making quite a strong distinction.
OK, but I claim there is a difference between “literally” and a mere intensifier.
I’m confused. Perhaps we’re writing past each other!
There is a meaning or sense of ‘literally’ that is not an intensifier – I believe this is true.
In most cases, for myself personally (and subject to all of the limitations of this kind of memory and for myself personally), I seem to be able to interpret specific uses of “literally” unambiguously.
There are occasional exceptions tho!
Also, people who can’t tell the difference between “A->B” and “A, and also B” are pretty frustrating to talk to.
I agree!
I agree that there isn’t some general method to distinguish the cloud from the literal meaning, or pick out which literal meaning, but I claim people do anyway, sometimes making quite a strong distinction.
I agree – people do it (pretty reliably) anyway and there can be arbitrarily strong distinctions maintained.
OK, but I claim there is a difference between “literally” and a mere intensifier.
Also, people who can’t tell the difference between “A->B” and “A, and also B” are pretty frustrating to talk to.
I totally agree that the literal meaning is a component.
I agree that there isn’t some general method to distinguish the cloud from the literal meaning, or pick out which literal meaning, but I claim people do anyway, sometimes making quite a strong distinction.
I’m confused. Perhaps we’re writing past each other!
There is a meaning or sense of ‘literally’ that is not an intensifier – I believe this is true.
In most cases, for myself personally (and subject to all of the limitations of this kind of memory and for myself personally), I seem to be able to interpret specific uses of “literally” unambiguously.
There are occasional exceptions tho!
I agree!
I agree – people do it (pretty reliably) anyway and there can be arbitrarily strong distinctions maintained.