Social Question

rebbel's avatar

Is there a way to say/write something when you, really, don't want to say/write that something?

Asked by rebbel (35549points) September 4th, 2010

That sounds a bit cryptic perhaps, but i mean the following:
Earlier i saw this question about cats licking their humans, and i was tempted to write something in the lines of; “He, i am surprised that nobody has said something naughty about cats licking their human.”
But then i would have been that somebody myself and i didn’t want that, if you get my point.
So, is there a way to get around that ‘dilemma’?
How writers that do that?

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16 Answers

jazmina88's avatar

Just do it, rebbel!!! I’m surprised some of the wild crap that comes outta of fingers, mouth.
somebody has to do it…..either ucme…..me, zen….Somebody just has to say it.

TexasDude's avatar

Authors often use their protagonists to say what they really wish they could say themselves.

you could always open an alternate account

Michael_Huntington's avatar

Hey maaaaan, I think you should just do itt
better in than out, right?

rebbel's avatar

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard and @jazmina88
See, it is not that i am ‘afraid’ of writing that sentence, i am more interested in how can one write something (a message) that one actually don’t want to write.
Shit, it is difficult to explain what i mean in English (actually even in Dutch it would be).
Well, maybe there is somebody of you that is clevererer then i am and gets my point…

15acrabm's avatar

Give them the answer you think they want, telling them that it is what most people would say, and then joke around by stating your own opinion. Humor. It works every time.

Trillian's avatar

@rebbel I think I know what you mean. You want to be the one to say it without coming out and saying it. Credit for the giggle without being thought of as a smut monger. This is where subtlety comes into play.
“Well, assuming that the cat is normal in all other respects, and doesn’t think of you as a potential mate, she’s probably just licking you because…..”
Or; “You’re not leaving anything out of the story that we should know about to make a logical and reasonable judgement, right?”
Or; ”Where, exactly, is the cat licking you?”
Is that sort of what you had in mind?

MyNewtBoobs's avatar

You can always PM me, I’ll do it for ya!

CyanoticWasp's avatar

The term is double entendre, where you say one thing and mean something completely different.

I suppose you could also use metaphor, but I don’t have any examples at hand.

rebbel's avatar

Yeah, that is exactly how i would do it, @Trillian, but still not what i meant :-)
I think i found a new word in my grey matter that suits in my explanation:
I don’t want to (in the cat lick example) state the obvious.
But also i do want, but with a way around stating the obvious….
I’ll see if i got my point across this time, if not…well, Jellies, forget about it :-)
But thanks to you all who already tried!

Nially_Bob's avatar

The only way I can think to do such a thing is by leading someone to replying in such a way that it makes it more appropriate for you to then answer with your dirty cat shenanigans via a different answer. Obviously this is very hit-and-miss, dependent upon how well you understand the person or people in question and comes to some more naturally but if performed successfully can be rather gratifying if in somewhat of a disturbed way.

A quick example i’ll throw out for the example question:
* Your Leading Answer: “Do your cats lick you in any particular way?” – This may put a mild ‘dirty joke thought’ in everyones mind but it will seem uncouth to most to emphasise this. Additionally, as it’s a question the original poster will feel more inclined to reply.
* Their Reply: “Sometimes it’s just light and ticklish while sometimes it’s rough” – Given that your inquiry was rather simple this would be a fitting answer as it’s quite general and doesn’t really tell us much that most couldn’t have assumed initially.
* Your Answer: “Sometimes light and ticklish, sometimes rough; growl! 0_0” – A silly answer that takes what people may have been thinking about previously and turning it into a facetious statement.

Nially_Bob's avatar

For the record i’m uncertain as to whether that conversation would work as planned. As I stated it was just an example :)

Jeruba's avatar

The term for that figure of speech is actually apophasis.

Haleth's avatar

So you’re trying to imply something naughty without actually saying it. I would ask them if there was any peanut butter involved.

cookieman's avatar

“Why does my cat enjoy licking me?”

“Perhaps this pussy was merely reciprocating.”

“Because a lack of thumbs limits her options.”

“Because it prolongs the moment.”

“She’s hoping for dinner and a movie.”

CyanoticWasp's avatar

Wow. Leave it to @Jeruba to come up with a word that I didn’t even know existed.

rebbel's avatar

Yes, indeed, you are right, @CyanoticWasp.
I forgot about it.
Thanks, @Jeruba, that word is precisely correct.
Now i only have to find a way to use it correct too.

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