"Reading Between The Lines"

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What does this mean? Can you give me a specific example of this? I have a feeling that I'm not so bad at this, but can you give me a better idea of what this means?

It means putting your own words in a story that aren't there. Like if you were reading a book, if you were to read in between the lines, that means that you are taking what is being said and making assumptions based on that. This is how NT's misinterpret our intentions.

It's like if you were to read "I went to the store and bought bread", and then say "because you were hungry and wanted to make a sammich," even though that was never directly stated.

In literature class it's supposed to be a beneficial skill, but I don't have a clue why. Reading in between the lines only creates assumptions. Never assume anything. It makes an ass of u and me.

Last edited by SammichEater on 25 Jun 2011, 11:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Like when a person true intentions is behind something they said, but we understand what they said literally, not what they meant by using other words...

Someone tells you "You left the light on again." What they are really saying is they want you to turn off the light.

Someone says "You left crumbs on the counter." What they are really saying is they want you to clean them up.


Someone asks you "Can you get the door for me?" What they are really saying is they want you to open the door for them or want you to answer it for them.

When you are in the store and someone points to the object in the store showing you, it's because they want to get it and you get the hint they want it.

When a teacher says "No headphones and Game Boys" what she is really saying is "No music and video games, including electronic games.

When a sign says no cellphones, they mean they don't want you talking on it and they want you to silence the ringers. But my question is does it mean only in that area only or the whole building?

When a sign says no shoes no shirt no service, that shoe rule doesn't apply to infants. But I wonder if a handicapped person in a wheel chair has to wear shoes? They can't walk either. I wonder if babies has to wear shirts too. I wonder when kids are supposed to wear shoes for service. Does it start at age one or two or older?

Those are examples of reading between the lines.

It means knowing that a person means one thing when they're saying something else.

Essentially this. What the person means is not completely written or spoken, and reading 'between the lines' is understanding what was not said or written.

'Between the lines' was originally only used in reference to literary works as spoken of already, but is sometimes used in regular day to day speech.

If someone were to say, "Can't you read between the lines?" They might mean that they felt that what they said should at that point already be understood, or even that their actions were meant to convey the understanding.