International Arrivals Into Australia To Be Slashed In Half!

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This was the headline news in Business News Australia this morning! These Aussies definitely don't want me to visit!

Of course, they don't actually mean they are going to physically slash us in half (I hope) but it's an example of how you say and mean one thing, but by not wording it carefully you can convey a completely different meaning.

Clarity

I have had experiences in the past where I have written something and thought it was quite clear what I meant but someone has taken a completely different meaning from it. It has happened to me offline as well as online too.

It's something I have become alert to and often look out for, when I create new content. I look to see if there is anything which could be misconstrued by someone.

One of the best ways to check is to ask someone else to read your content before you publish it as fresh eyes often see these things better than the author. They might spot other mistakes too!

Most of the time it will just result in a slightly comical misinterpretation such as the one above but unfortunately in this day and age there are some people who like to take offence when none is intended.

It would be a shame for your epic piece of content to be overshadowed by an unfortunate choice of words in the headline or even within the content.

Cheers

Dave

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Recent Comments

29

Very true Dave. A comment or a word can often be taken to have different meanings for different people.

Even a comma in the wrong place can change the meaning of a sentence.

Take your headline above. It actually can have three meanings. As you said, the international arrivals could be physically cut in half. It could mean that traveller numbers will be restricted to half the amount. Or it May mean that immigration numbers will be cut in half.

The only way to know the true meaning is to read the full article.

All the Best. Jim

Hi Jim
Yes there are often a number of ways that the same words can be interpreted. As you say, a comma can change the entire meaning sometimes.
When spoken, the same words can have different meanings depending on the emphasis placed on each word.

Thanks
Dave

This is such a laugh Dave!! I hadn't thought of how this could be misconstrued. The other side of this is that we can't get flights overseas. 😪😪 I hate not being able to travel.

Have a great week funny man.
Hugs
Lily 😁🎶

Yeah the loss of travel is my biggest disappointment (outside of the obvious health issues).
I'm very much a work to live person - in particular, work to travel!

Cheers
Dave

Me too Dave. I dream of the freedom we had to jump on a plane anytime. I keep reminding myself that this to shall pass.

Stay well my friend.
Lily 😁🎶

Good point Dave, I always have someone who reads it through and points out if I’ve gone wrong anywhere. There was a time when I didn’t have that and I would read it again a few days later after publishing and ask myself how I missed it in the first place 🙄😉

Hi Alex
Ah yes - the fresh eyes see all the little errors you miss the first time around.
As long as we don't miss any howlers!

Thanks
Dave

That's hillarious! I often write a piece of content, take a break, maybe even a day, then read it again. So many times I find sentences that don't make sense. It's good to take a step back and check your work. Yes, sometimes I have my wife read my articles too, but she mostly just skims them to appease me :)

Hi Steve
The appeasing wife comment made me chuckle knowingly!
Yes its good to take a step back before hitting publish. Coming back to a piece of content with fresh eyes sounds like a good idea too.

Thanks
Dave

An unintentional 'double entendre' can cause some major rouging but in all seriousness, you raise an important point.
When we read our own words, we are already adding intonation and emphasis with our internal voice, so it sounds how we want it to sound.
A fresh pair of eyes can quickly draw attention to the possible ambiguity that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
Great post Dave, thank you.

Hi Twack
Yes I hadn't considered the additional effect of the internal voice adding intonation and emphasis. I suppose this serves to reinforce the perception of what we think we are communicating.

Thanks
Dave

Exactly, we always read it as we think it should sound, as oppose to how it actually sounds when someone else reads it. Sometimes it can be down to puctuation, or lack of.

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