[lit-ideas] Re: "No offence meant", "None taken": the implicature

From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:53:40 EDT

Regarding the too recent quote in the OED under 'offence'
 
 
2001 Times 7 Mar.  I. 4/4  

The BBC said that the  show was jokey 
         and not   intended to give offence, but  
apologised if it had done  so.

Note it's a conditional. In logical  form



(By x, TAKE(ADDRESSEE,  OFFENCE)) --> (APOLOGISE(UTTERER, ADDRESSEE))
 
                                  Utterer  ready to apologise
                                   on condition that 
                                   addressee took offense.
 
I like the idea of 
 
                                      GIVE <---> TAKE
                                offense                offense
 
How can you take offense if offense was not given.
 
Think of St.Valentine Candy: I cannot take the gift if none was  given.
Replace "Valentine Candy' by 'offence'.
 
The trick of this is that unless it's couched in this conditional terms,  the 
utterer would be conceding too much:
 
              "I  apologise for possibly having offended the addresee"
 
              or  "I apologise just in case"
 
The latter does not sound _serious_ or _earnest_. One can only apologise  
(successfully) if an offence has been given by the utterer and taken by the  
addressee.
 
No offence can be taken unless the offence was given (OR MEANT).
No offense MEANT LOGICALLY IMPLIES No offense taken.
 
It's many things the addressee can TAKE (resentment, sorrow, depression),  
but not OFFENSE because none has been meant to be given.
 
Here is where the case is strictly parallel to
 
NO PUN INTENDED. -- where 'intended' = meant.
 
"No pun intended" becomes DOUBLY offensive: "No pun intended so whatever  
your silly mind takes out of my ambiguities, and figures of rhetoric, it's all  
y
our SILLY MIND which is responsible for -- I never intended it."
 
If QUINTILIAN were alive, he would be turning in his cenotaph.
 
Cheers,
 
JL
 
 



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[lit-ideas] Re: "No offence meant", "None taken": the implicature

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