strings wrote:
I remember being struck by a notice in the London underground saying "Dogs must be carried on the escalator," and then by contrast at immigration a notice saying "Passports must be shown at the immigration desk." Language, and unspoken conventions, can be tricky sometimes!
Another one that gets me is a pair of double doors where a notice is stuck to one of them saying "Please use other door." Absolutely clear and unambiguous, until they add an arrow on the notice too, pointing at the other door. Now they've created a real ambiguity; use the door the arrow is pointing at, or does the arrow indicate the door you are not supposed to use?
Quote:
"Dogs must be carried on the escalator,"
Quote:
"Passports must be shown at the immigration desk."
Now I am confused about these idioms, can you explain what they actually mean?
Quote:
"Please use other door." Absolutely clear and unambiguous, until they add an arrow on the notice too, pointing at the other door.
I guess even NTs were getting confused by this. I never had this problem because the sign on the door indicated you can't use that door. Reminds me when I was in my freshman year of high school, the kitchen staff had a sign on their computer saying "there will be no charge on lunches starting April 21st" and I took it as they won't charge you for lunch anymore. So one day I went to get my lunch and the lunch lady told me I was below in my account and I told her "I know" and she told me I can't have lunch and I said I could because they don't charge us for them anymore. I even showed her the sign on her computer thinking she wasn't aware of their new policy and she let me have my lunch. Later I learned that is not what the sign actually meant and even other kids had taken it literal too. But my aid knew what the sign meant and said it was poorly worded and she only knew what it meant because she is an adult and we were just kids so we didn't know.
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Son: Diagnosed w/anxiety and ADHD. Also academic delayed and ASD lv 1.
Daughter: NT, no diagnoses. Possibly OCD. Is very private about herself.