“Only”

Where we place it makes a difference

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

When I watch reruns of Law & Order, I often see commercials for Liberty Mutual, which I believe is a fine insurance company. When I see those commercials, however, I wonder why the executive in charge of advertising approved the slogan “Only pay for what you need.”

What’s the problem with it?

You probably already know the problem with the slogan, but if you don’t, the following examples and bracketed comments, all of which come from Harbrace College Handbook, may give you a hint:

He said that he loved only me. [He loved no one else.]

He said that only he loved me. [No one else loved me.]

He said only that he loved me. [He said nothing else.]

He only said that he loved me. [He didn’t mean it.]

Only he said that he loved me. [No one else said it.]

He said that he only loved me. [Even love has limitations.]

The examples and comments show how the placement of only affects the meaning of a statement.

The problem with the slogan “Only pay for what you need” is that it could mean “After you’ve bought a policy, don’t expect to be covered when you file a claim.” I suppose the executive who approved the slogan might say, “Oh…