Countless People Will Read This
Can You Read Between The Lines?
Are you reading this? Then I just insulted you. Did you catch it? It’s subtle, and depending on the context, you might miss it. How about: “Countless people are suffering in these times of austerity.” Most people will read this as “too many people to count.” However, depending on the author and/or the context, its interpretation may be quite different: People who are of less worth, i.e. they are poor and literally do not count as much money as people who are not poor. They count less.
Maybe someone tells you that you have “trust” issues. (Trust is used as a slang word for money.) Perhaps it is a polite way of saying to you that you’ve got money problems. Or maybe you’re life’s just out of balance.
“Mike, yeah he’s trustworthy.” Translation, depending on context: He’s probably not trustworthy but he’s got a ton of cash.
Shadow talk. There is a hidden, shadowy meaning that can only be inferred by “reading between the lines” within the subtlety of the context of the conversation, and who is speaking or writing.
This can be a “clever” way to insult someone without them even knowing. Perhaps you find yourself in a difficult conversation with another person who just does not get your point. You might say to them, “This situation is just problematic.” As in, you have a problem in your attic…You are stupid.
It’s not just about the money though. Somewhat surprisingly, you find a lot of this shadowy language in law enforcement.
“Remember that nice lady I was telling you about? I got her some bracelets today.” (handcuffs)
“I ran into Dave today. I swear that guy is my ‘solemate’.” As in, that person is an insect that belongs at the bottom of my shoe.
“How’s John? I hear he’s doin’ great” (due in grate — slang for the bars of a jail cell).
What about you? Do you have any examples of these shadowy phrases, words or sayings that are dependent on the subtlety of context?
I’d say in these matters of knowing who to trust, most people are innocent.
