Comments on: When I say X, what I really mean is Y http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/ Snowclones are the new eggcorns. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:51:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Thomasina http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-6456 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:55:43 +0000 http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-6456 From the great animated series “Clone High”:
(teenaged clone of) JFK: “Hey, let’s all go swimming in my pool, and by pool I mean bathtub, and by swimming, I mean sex.”

]]> By: Mark http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-2135 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:21:20 +0000 http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-2135 Monty Python:
“There is NO cannibalism in the British Navy. And by that I mean there is a certain amount.”

]]> By: Lowbart http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-1983 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:50:46 +0000 http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-1983 “I’m going to go finish my work, and by ‘finish’ I mean ‘eat’, and by “my work” I mean ‘some more chips’.

]]> By: anon http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-1297 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:52:45 +0000 http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-1297 This one has been around at least since 1749.

Cf. Thwackum in _Tom Jones_, Bk. III, Ch. 3:

“When I mention religion, I mean the Christian religion; and not only the Christian religion, but the Protestant religion; and not only the Protestant religion, but the Church of England.”

]]> By: LA http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-1199 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 01:04:44 +0000 http://snowclones.org/2007/03/30/when-i-say-x-what-i-really-mean-is-y/#comment-1199 A common variant of this is “And by X, I mean Y”, where X and Y are usually quite distinct things, with the contrast intended as humorous. X and Y as opposites is not required; often, they’re merely unrelated. Currently, “And by * I mean” gets around 760,000 hits on Google.

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