In a message dated 11/6/08 10:48:00 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Oop. Busted. I didn't really mean that, you know. (And, Cheerskep, > don't jump on my using the word "mean," okay?) :-) > Generous and forgiving guy that I am, I've already conceded we can serviceably use the words 'meaning' and 'to mean' like this: A person can "mean" in the sense of wanting to convey notion.
"I don't follow that. What do mean, Jack?" "Here's what I mean. . ." And Jack tries again to describe the notion he wants to convey. My guess is part of the reluctance to accept that that objects like words and paintings don't "mean" comes from the sense that I am, let's say, demeaning them. Predictably, I don't look at it that way. Certainly it doesn't demean the painter. If anything, just the opposite -- especially the "non-realistic" painter who does not reproduce with exactitude exactly what he sees. Consider the creators of Japanese rock gardens. It's what the artist does with the stones that creates the impact. Each stone, by itself, occasions very little interesting notion in the contemplators mind. Same with a good writer. As with a painter, he has an effectively infinite number of strokes to choose from, and all around him others are choosing all the time, and to no great effect. You can't name a word that, all by itself, occasions an a.e. So, even more than the choice of the word, it's their placement, their setting among other words, that makes for the ultimate effect. And this is what the "artist" does. We can use the noun "meaning" to label the notion the writer/speaker is trying to convey -- or the notion that arises in one's head when sensing or "thinking about" something. In any usage, those words -- 'to mean' and 'meaning' -- are liable to occasion some confusion, but in everyday, non-philosophical conversation they can be excellently serviceable. ************** AOL Search: Your one stop for directions, recipes and all other Holiday needs. Search Now. (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212792382x1200798498/aol?redir=http ://searchblog.aol.com/2008/11/04/happy-holidays-from -aol-search/?ncid=emlcntussear00000001)
