• BlackDragon@slrpnk.net
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    2 months ago

    Exactly! In English! Which this person does not know!

    You seem to be getting pretty confused here. We’re talking about the literal meanings, that is to say the ones that someone who doesn’t have a strong grasp of English should know. Metaphors and idioms and so on are famously difficult for those without a strong grasp on the language, but I am arguing that this is not one of those. This is a phrase with a straightforward literal meaning, unlike such phrases as “pulling your leg.”

    • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      This is a phrase with a straightforward literal meaning

      Obviously not the case, since you had to use the phrase “in English, what we mean is…” You had to give a cultural context.