In Clintonese, that would be 'You are free to infer that I was saying that.' :-)
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- In a vague, political‑sounding way, the speaker says you may infer their meaning.
- In plain terms
- You can infer what they meant.
- What can you take from it?
- Beware of ambiguous language that leaves room for interpretation.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is ambiguity useful?
- How to balance clarity and flexibility?
Another view
Sometimes ambiguity is intentional for flexibility.
More from Larry Wall
One operator is no big deal. That can be fixed in a jiffy.
Permalink to quote #217 Would you trust the linguistic intuitions of someone who has been studying Latin or Greek for three days?
Permalink to quote #219 So I'm thinking about ??, or !!, or //, or \, or whatever. But I think I like ?? the best so far. Or the least worst.
Permalink to quote #216
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