Verbatim

Words: “a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation that functions as a principal carrier of meaning.”

So, words have meaning? Correct? Isn’t that what I’m supposed to understand? Words are in fact “carriers of meaning”? Ok, well, define “meaning.”

Meaning: “what is intended to be, or actually is.”

Hmm. What about “truth?” Define “truth.”

Truth: “the state or character of being true.”

That’s helpful. You know, I think the “truth” is that words are negotiable. Well, at least their meanings are. And I am making deals every day. I can ask a million different questions and get the exact same answer for every single one, verbatim.

I don’t mean to belittle you, or what you do. I guess I’m just trying to figure out how to…say what I mean, and mean what I say. I mean, after all, isn’t that the whole point? The point of anything, everything, to find meaning?

I forgot. You can only answer questions about words. You can’t tell me what I really want to know. You can’t really give me the answer I’m looking for. Can you?

But, thanks for your help, I guess. Honestly, I probably couldn’t do it without you. I find words and you tell me what they mean. Whether I really want to know, or not.

One last question. What’s the definition of “me?”

Me: “the objective case of I, used as a direct or indirect object.”

Right. Of course.