In “Breakfast of Champions” Kilgore Trout explained to me that in Bermuda, his place of birth, they call mirrors leaks. So if someone there says “I am going to take a leak,” it means they are about to steal a mirror. It got me thinking about what other words or statements mean other things to other people based on their origin, generation, intelligence or even gender. I thought of a few examples where you must look beyond the obvious to find the truth. Let’s start with communications between spouses or any romantically linked couple:
They Say: “I don’t need a present, I just need you.”
It Means: “I expect a gift and it better make a sizeable dent in your credit limit!”
They Say: “Go ahead out, I’ll be fine here on my own tonight.”
It Means: “Take one step out that door and you will rue your decision for eternity.”
They Say: “I’d Love to watch “The Notebook” with you…AGAIN.” Or
“I’d Love to watch “Solo, A Star Wars Story” with you…AGAIN.
It Means: “OMG, I’d rather drink Drano, poke my eyes out or watch Fox News.”
They Say: “You are sexier than Emilia Clarke (as Daenerys Targaryen).” Or
“You are sexier than Jason Momoa.”
It Means: “I’d crawl a mile on my belly for one night with (__Pick One__).”
We will explore others in the future. Stay tuned.