History Main / NoExceptYes

* An example that's arguable: Maj. Gen. Oliver P. Smith, the Commanding General, 1st Marine Division, at the Chosin Reservoir, said, "Retreat, hell! We're not retreating, we're just advancing in a different direction." To a civilian, retreat means "move away from a battle or position" but the military definition is specifically "withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position ''to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat''. Since they were not moving to escape the enemies troops, they were not retreating, by the military definition

** This variation is supposedly based on RealLife. Supposedly, the form of Japanese used for giving orders during World War II did not allow for "retreat" as a command (unclear as to whether this was due to deliberately leaving the word out or just telling the officers they couldn't use that command). To get around this, some Japanese commanders put together the command "Advance to the rear."

*** Which get's the appropriate response: "They have a word for that. PINK!"

* Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, according to one legend, is supposed to have characterized a movement his division made in the KoreanWar: "This is not a retreat; we're advancing to the rear."
** Chesty Puller won a Navy Cross at Chosin Reservoir, but it was Maj. Gen. Oliver P. Smith, the Commanding General, 1st Marine Division, who said, "Retreat, hell! We're not retreating, we're just advancing in a different direction." This is actually a subversion: Smith wasn't being coy or using a euphemism. Although they were returning in the direction they'd come from, they were still advancing on the enemy and facing brutal, pitched battle the whole way. They ''weren't'' retreating.
*** [[WeaselWords Meh]]. They were returning to the safety of friendly lines. That the enemy was in front of them just meant that they didn't have to stop and turn around to shoot at them. The proper military term is "fighting retreat".
*** Just the same, the Chinese ended up suffering disproportionately while fighting the retreating Americans. There is a very good reason that the Battle of Chosin Reservoir is rather highly celebrated in [[SemperFi Marine Corps lore]].
** During drill training, this troper was informed by numerous Sergeants that "the British Army never retreats - the order will be 'About Face! Company will move to the rear! Move to the rear! Left...'"

* To a question like: "Don't you like broccoli?," most people who are not fluent speakers of English would answer: "Yes" to mean "Yes, I don't like broccoli." where in casual English a person would much more likely answer "No". (Unless of course the person in question ''does'' like broccoli, in which case it'd be the other way around.)
** To avoid this, some languages (e.g. French, ''si'') have a specific word meaning something along the lines of "Yes, you're wrong". Genius.
** The problem is that English-speakers answer "Yes" when they mean "Yes" ''and'' when they mean "No". If we actually took the time to think about the real meaning of the question (and the answer), instead of casually disregarding the rules of logic, English might not be so confusing. Those so-called non-fluent speakers actually have the right of it.
*** Well, yes, except no. When one breaks it down, the question is, "Do you not like broccoli?" This can be analyzed in two ways: "Is it not the case that you like broccoli?" and "Is it the case that you do not like broccoli?" Assuming that you don't like broccoli (a silly assumption, but that's another matter), the correct response is "Yes, that is the case" in both cases. The problem lies with assuming that "Yes, that is the case" is necessarily identified with simply "Yes," because in English, "Yes" in such an instance is an abbreviation of "Yes, I do in fact like broccoli," rather than "Yes, it is the case that I dislike broccoli." The standard response is to provide an abbreviated form of a more-complete response to the question, confusing foreigners in the process. And usually, English-speakers won't say just "yes" or "no," but rather "Yes, I do," or "No, I don't," often appending "like broccoli, I mean."
**** [[StockYuck But no one]] [[CompletelyMissingThePoint likes broccoli]]!

* I have no idea where I read it or who said it, but I remember the Swedish quote: "Jag har inte begått något brott, jag bara misslyckades med att följa lagen." Translation: "I haven't committed a crime, I simply failed in following the law."
** Also technically true. Not all violations are [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime crimes]].
** Also, one may be legally obligated to violate laws (essentially). Failure to violate a law in such a case is a violation of the law.

** Used more to explain how brutal the attack supposedly was. He didn't ''just'' kill Pettigrew, he ''blew him up!''
*** Of course, [[spoiler: Fudge was only right the first time]].

*** First, assassins are thugs who kill people for money; capital-A Assassins are refined gentlemen of wealth and breeding who enjoy food, wine, and culture, and are occasionally commissioned by other refined gentlemen of wealth and breeding to "remove, for a consideration, any inconvenient razors from the candyfloss of life".
*** Second, Assassins do not "kill" people. They inhume, delete, rub out, or remove people, but "killing" implies a certain unprofessionalism.
*** Thirdly, Assassins are ''never'' "employed". They are commissioned, engaged, retained, contracted.

** But done totally straight in the difference between a Companion and a whore, as highlighted in both the pilot and "Heart of Gold".
*** There is a difference, though, in terms of social class, training, and the like.

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* It's not a cookie, it's a Fig Newton.
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* Similarily, in LuckyStar, after Konata asks her dad, on account of him having loved [[OlderThanTheyLook Kanata]] and is clingy with Konata herself, if he is a {{Lolicon}}, he insists that he not only likes young girls, but likes more mature, well-endowed women, too, so it's more correct to say that he is "''also'' a lolicon"... Konata is suitably disturbed.

See also BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord, FromACertainPointOfView.

* In the first case of ''Phoenix Wright: AceAttorney'', prosecutor Winston Payne asks defendant Larry Butz if his ex-girlfriend, Cindy Stone (the murder victim in the case), broke up with him:

--->'''Saladin''': Nothing. (He walks away then turns around) '''Everything!'''

* After losing to the American's in a sporting event (not the Olympics) the Soviet media (supposedly) claimed (correctly) that they had come in second, while the US came in second to last.

** Technically this is a clarification, since the terms refer to different age groups. It is also wrong, since many of the victims have been pre-pubescent.

* After losing to the American's in a sporting event (not the Olymics) the Soviet media (supposedly) claimed (correctly) that they had come in second, while the US came in second to last.

* Not sure if this one counts. At the start of ''ToyStory'' Woody shouts that Buzz wasn't flying, he was "falling with style." At the end he shouts that they're flying. Buzz immediately shouts, [[IronicEcho "We're not flying! We're falling, with style!"]]
** Although to be fair, in the first instance Buzz really wasn't flying.
** He wasn't flying the second time, either. He was gliding.
** You're right; he wasn't flying, he was ''falling with style!'' Didn't you ''hear'' the man the first time?!

* From ''BurnNotice''

--->'''Client''': Sam... you're asking me to hide?
--->'''Sam''': Oh, no, no, no, of course, not. I just need you to be some place where no one can see ya.

* ''ToyStory'', coupled with IronicEcho:
-->'''Woody:''' That wasn't flying! That was... falling with ''style''!\\
And later:
-->'''Woody:''' We're flying!
-->'''Buzz:''' No, this is falling with style!