Re: You don't say that

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

tonbei - 17 Jul 2009 06:51 GMT

Let me ask a question about this phrase"You don't say that" in the
following senteces from a novel.

Grantham gulped coffee, "Busy week at the White House."
"You could say that. Lot of excitement. Lot of happiness."
"You don't say that."

context:
Grantham is a reporter with Post. He is meeting with a soruce who
works in the White House.
The place ia a bar. Two justices were killed, so the White House must
have been busy, Grantham said.

Question: about "You don't say that."

This phrase sounds funny. Why did the reporter say "You don't say
that" ? Does it have a
reproving tone in it? Implying that "you're getting a wage from the
White House, so you shouldn't say such a thing as if you were happy
with bad happings for the White House.

But the reporter seems out of character to feel moralistic about such
a thing. So, "You don't say that" may
not be a reproving expression. Or else, a confirming word? If it's
the case, it must mean" Don't say that, because it's too obvious to
get it out of the mouth. The reporter must have said it hilariously,
not reprovingly.

What do you think of it?

Reply to this Message

bert - 17 Jul 2009 07:46 GMT

> Let me ask a question about this phrase"You don't say that" in the
> following senteces from a novel.
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> get it out of the mouth. The reporter must have said it hilariously,
> not reprovingly.

"You don't say" is usually sarcastic, with at least two
layers of meaning: (1) That is an amazing thing for you
to say, (2) because I knew it perfectly well already,
and you must be stupid to have thought otherwise.

"You don't say that" might just have been a local variant
of "you don't say" as already described. But in the given
context, it surely means "Hush, you mustn't say that", to
imply "Yes, I agree, of course, but we'll be in trouble if
we say that's how we and others feel about it", i.e. happy
about the death of two justices.
--

Reply to this Message

info@trapeze7.com - 17 Jul 2009 08:18 GMT

> > Let me ask a question about this phrase"You don't say that" in the
> > following senteces from a novel.
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>
> - 引用テキストを表示 -

Thanks, your detailed explanation. Your "two layers of meanings" is
quite understanble.
"Yon don't say that" better be included in english dictionaries only
for non-natives, with your
explanation.

Reply to this Message

Glenn Knickerbocker - 17 Jul 2009 22:17 GMT

> "You don't say that" might just have been a local variant
> of "you don't say" as already described. But in the given
> context, it surely means "Hush, you mustn't say that",

No, it was just a typo. The edition with a preview available at Google
Books has "You don't say." It's not used sarcastically in this case.
Grantham seems honestly surprised by the statement, in my reading.

¬R

Reply to this Message

Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009

Re: You don't say that