[lit-ideas] Re: "No pun intended" -- whose copyright? -- and different 'implicatures'
- From: wokshevs@xxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Julie Krueger <juliereneb@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:00:30 -0230
I agree with Julie here in her attempt to delineate more precisely the
legitimate scope of my claim. Whether the expression is spoken or written is
indeed a relevant feature. (Am I over the limit?)
Walter O.
MUN
Quoting Julie Krueger <juliereneb@xxxxxxxxx>:
> <<There is no pragmatic contradiction involved, as far as I can see. The
> speaker
> means that at the time of the utterance no pun was intended. If she did
> intend
> the pun and claimed otherwise, she is a liar, or perhaps a comedian. But why
> not extend a principle of charity or cooperation to the speaker and give her
> the benefit of the doubt? Imagine what communication would be like if we
> didn't
> trust others to be speaking the truth most of the time. Similarly, if one
> claims to be willing to wager his Volvo .... why not assume - "out of a love
> of
> mankind" - that he actually has a Volvo.>>
>
> Doesn't that rather depend on whether it is spoken or written? If I am
> speaking spontaneously and suddenly realize toward the end of the sentence
> that there was a pun in it, I might kind of sheepishly say, 'no pun
> intended'. If, however, I write a statement and post the disclaimer "no pun
> intended" onto the end of the sentence, in print, where it could otherwise
> be erased, crossed through, edited, then it of course carries as certain
> disingenuity, I think. In a similar way, I suspect that whether the "no
> offense intended" precedes the offending statement or follows it is that on
> which its genuineness relies -- "No offense intended, but those cat-eye
> glasses are hideous" is merely a so very thin veneer covering one's
> backside. However, if I am talking to you and mention that I find the
> cat-eye glasses look hideous, and as the final words in that sentence exit
> my mouth you happen to pull out of you handbag or pocket a pair of <gasp>
> cat-eye glasses, or I suddenly recall that I saw you wearing a pair the
> other day, and I say with a bit of an embarrassed wince, "no offense
> intended" ....
>
> Julie Krueger
>
> On 10/25/07, Paul Stone <pastone@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > JLS:
> > > > For Grice (or Griceans), this is a pragmatic contradiction. Because,
> > by pointing the
> > > > addressee's attention to the pun, it _is_ somehow intended; yet it is
> > a
> > > > sneaky act of communication.
> > >
> >
> > Yes, and in some cases this kind of construction is underhanded and
> > the implicature is insulting. In your case, the utterer is making sure
> > that his pun doesn't go un-noticed, in my case (to follow) the speaker
> > thinks he's actually sneaking something by me by pointing it out?
> >
> > I have a friend who likes to preface his 'advice' with "no offence,
> > but..."
> >
> > I hypothesize that he knows what he is about to say has a potential to
> > cause offense, but instead of reconstructing his writing/speaking to
> > be more diplomatic and less [since he is aware of its potential,
> > deliberately] offensive, he just blurts it out. I guess I should
> > appreciate him for his candor.
> >
> > p
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