IMPLICATU
RE Courseinst
ructor:Vero
nicaTomes
cu
ZACK:Theyalsosaiddolphinsmightbesmarterthan
people.
LEONARD:Theymightbesmarterthansomepeople.
ZACK:MaybeyoucoulddoanexperimenttoGindout.
SHELDON:That’seasyenough.We’dneedalargetank
ofwater,ahooptojumpthroughandabucketof
whateverbite-sizedtreatsyouGindtasty.
ZACK:Idon’tgetit.
LEONARD:Adolphinmight.
ZACK:Oh,Isee,youguysareinferringthatI’mstupid.
SHELDON:That’snotcorrect.Wewereimplyingit.You
theninferredit.
0  ConversationalImplicature(Grice):sentencesmean
whatonesaysandmore
Howishedoinginhisnewjobatthebank?
Oh,quitewell,hehasn’tbeentoprisonyet.
0  apropositionwhichisconveyedindirectly=
implication
‘YouphonedhimfromLeeds’placelastnight,assoonas
youcouldgettoaphoneafterMrsRackhamwas
murdered.’
‘Excuseme.NotassoonasIcouldgettoaphoneafter
MrsRachkamwasmurdered.AssoonasIcouldgettoa
phoneafterIfoundoutshehadbeenmurdered.’
[Sheldondrawsonboards]
LEONARD:Whatareyoudoingthere?Workingona
newplantocatchtheRoadRunner?’
SHELDON:ThehumorousimplicationbeingthatIam
WileE.Coyote?AndthatthisisaschematicforabirdtrappingdevicethatwillultimatelybackGireandcause
mephysicalinjury?’
0  implicatures:
1.conventional:therefore,too,syntacticconstructions
2.conversationalimplicatures:determinedbythe
conversationalcontext,bythemutualconversational
beliefs,constrainedbyCooperativePrinciple
Conversationalimplicaturesare:
0  generalized
Someofthemhavecome.
Notallofthemhavecome.
0  particularized
ConversationalImplicaturesarecancellable
OnthemorningofthemurderJohnvisitedMary,went
tothecampusanddroppedonhisfriend,butnot
necessarilyinthatorder
It’soddthatthedogdoesn’teatcheese.
->conventionalimplicature:thedogdoesn’teatcheese
*It’soddthathedoesn’tbuthedoesinfacteatcheese.
0  explicitcancellationàmaydrawattentiontothe
implicature:
Iwasoverhearingsomeofthemenandwell,someof
themarewonderingwhatitiswe’reuptohere.Notme,
ofcourse.Iknowyou’realwaysthemanwiththeplan.
Butsome,notme,arewonderingifthereisinfacta
planatallandwhatitmightbe.
0  reinforcibility:conversationalimplicaturesare
reinforcible,unlikeconventional
*Iregretthatheishereandheishere
0  CooperativePrinciple=Makeyourconversational
contributionsuchasisrequiredatthestageatwhich
itoccurs,bytheacceptedpurposeordirectionofthe
talkexchange
Attardo’sPerlocutionaryCooperativePrinciple=
cooperateinwhatevergoalsthespeakermayhavein
initiatingaconversationalexchange,includingnonlinguistic,practicalgoals;anticipatepeople’sneeds
A:Howlongdoesittakebytaxi?
a)Oneminute–notpragmaticallyacceptable,unhelpful,
validatesmistakenassumption
b)Youdon’tneedataxi–it’stwominute’swalk.
GetSmithonthephone.
He’srighthereinthewaitingroom.
Grice’sMaximsofconversation:
1.Quantity
=contributionshouldbeasinformativeasrequired:not
more,notless
2.Quality
=tellthetruth
3.Relation
=berelevant
4.Manner
=avoidobscurity,ambiguity,bebriefandorderly
‘I’lltrytoframethisright.Exceptfornewspaperor
radioitemsconnectedwithhisdeath,hadyouorhave
youeverseenorheardofhim?’
‘Notunderthatname.’
‘Damnit,underanyname?’
‘Nottomyknowledge.’
‘Haveyouanyreasontosupposeorsuspectthatthe
manfounddeadinthatalleywassomeoneyouhadever
seenorheardofinanyconnectionwhatever?’
‘That’smorelikeit.Thatshouldsettleit.Theansweris
no.’
FailuretofulGillamaxim:
1.  violate
2.  infringe(unintentionally)
3.  optout
4.  suspend
5.  Glout
1.  Violateàintentionallymislead
0  MaximofQuantity
Ididnotexplicitlyrequestabribefromanyone.
1.  Violateàintentionallymislead
0  MaximofQuality
“Iknowall.AndIshouldliketobegin,"Isaid,sinking
mypersonalopinionthatthefemaleinquestionwasa
sloppypestinmydesiretobuckandencourage,"by
sayingthatMadelineBassettisacharminggirl.A
winner,andjustthesortforyou."
1.  Violateàintentionallymislead
0  MaximofRelation
“HowdoyouthinkIlook,Bertie?"
Well,theanswertothat,ofcourse,was"perfectlyfoul".
Ievadedthequestion."Ihearyou'reinLondon,"Isaid
carelessly.
1.  Violateàintentionallymislead
0  MaximofManner
CHARMING:Youcan’tlie.WhereisShrek?
PINOCCHIO:Well,Idon’tknowwherehe’snot.
CHARMING:Youdon’tknowwhereShrekis?
PINOCCHIO:Itwouldn’tbeinaccuratetoassumethatI
couldn’texactlynotsaythatisorisn’talmostpartially
incorrect.
CHARMING:Soyoudoknowwhereheis.
PINOCCHIO:Onthecontrary,I’mpossiblymoreorlessnot
deGinitelyrejectingtheideathatinnoway,withanyamount
ofuncertaintyIdonotknowwhereheshouldn’tbe.Ifthat
indeedwasn’twhereheisn’t.Evenifhewasn’tnotwhereI
knewhewasitcouldmean...
2.Infringeàunintentionallyviolate:imperfect
linguisticperformance
0  MaximofManner
‘DoyouknowtheGuestRoommiss?Well,it’sonthe
NewBridge,miss,betweenTudorBuildingandthe
NorthAnnexwheretheCottageusedtobe,miss,onlyof
coursethat’salldoneawaynowandyouhastogoupby
themainstaircasepasttheWestLecture-Room,miss,
whatusedtobetheJuniorCommonRoom,miss,before
theymadethenewentranceandmovedthestairs,and
thenturnrightandit’shalfwayalongthecorridor.You
can’tmistakeit,miss.AnyoftheScoutswouldshow
you,miss,ifyoucouldGindoneaboutjustnow.
2.Infringeàunintentionallyviolate
0  MaximofQuantity
‘Oh,thereyouare!’saidSirAymler,whowasstill
bellowingoutofthewindow.‘William,thisfellowwho
callshimselfReginaldTwistleton,howabouthim?’
‘Howabouthim?’
‘Exactly.Howabouthim?’
‘Howdoyoumean,howabouthim?’
‘GoodGod,boy,can’tyouunderstandplainEnglish?I
meanHowabouthim?’
2.Infringeàunintentionallyviolate
0  MaximofRelation
Suchaninterestingcaseandinterestingpeopletoo,
don’tyouthink,thoughwhatthejurymakeofitIdon’t
know,withfaceslikehamsmostofthem,exceptthe
artist,whowouldn’thaveanyfeaturesatallifitwasn’t
forthatdreadfultieandhisbeard,lookinglikeChrist,
onlynotreallyChristbutoneofthoseItalianonesina
pinkfrockandabluetopthing.
3.Optout
Mylipsaresealed
SuchinformationisconGidential
It’snoneofyourbusiness
Nocomment
4.suspend
0  MaximofQuality:e.g.obituaries
0  MaximofManner:e.g.poetry
0  MaximofQuantity:e.g.textmessages
5.Gloutàexploitamaxim:implicatures
Premises:
a)  thereisnoreasontoassumethatthespeakeris
disobeyingthecooperativeprinciple;
b)  thespeakerknowsthatthehearercancomeupwith
theimplicature;
c)  mutualcontextualbeliefs
5.FloutMaximofQuality
‘Didtheyshootyou?’
‘Sure,butIcaughtthebulletsandtossedthemback.’
5.FloutMaximofQuantity:emphasis
‘Whyareyougotupasapoliceman?’
‘Iamapoliceman.’
‘Apoliceman?’
‘Yes.’
‘Whenyousay“policeman”,doyoumean“policeman”?’
‘Yes.’
‘You’reapoliceman?’
‘Yes,blastyou.Areyoudeaf?I’mapoliceman.’
5.FloutMaximofRelation
‘Whydidyouputthatadinthepaper?’Cramer
demanded.
‘Archie,thisletterfromJordanisfarcical.Heknows
quitewellthatIdonotuseBrassavolasintri-generic
crosses.Hedoesn’tdeserveananswer,buthe’llgetone.
Yournotebook.DearMrJordan.Iamawarethatyou
havehadillsuccesswith–‘
5.FloutMaximofManner
Hecan’tpossiblydoit,whichisanadvantage,because
theonlythingsheeverreallystrainshimselfonare
thosethatcan’tbedone.
0  clashofmaxims:qualityandquantity:ifyousayall,
youmaysaythatforwhichyouhaveinsufGicient
evidence
0  onemaximforanother:quantityforrelevance
‘Didyoudrive?’
‘Walked.HewalkedandIran.’
‘Youran?Why?’
‘Tokeepupwithhim.’
1.  Idon'tseehowthingscouldpossiblybeworsethan
theyare,butnodoubtyouwillsucceedinmaking
themso.YourgeniusandinsightwillGindtheway.
Carryon,Bertie.Yes,carryon.Iampastcaringnow.
IshallevenGindafaintinterestinseeingintowhat
darkerandprofounderabyssesofhellyoucan
plungethishome.
2.  Kovenhadmadeadiveforthedoor.Icaughthim
beforehereachedit,gotanarmandhischinand
heaved.Therewasalotoffeelinginit,andbigashe
washesailedtoawall,bouncedoffandwenttothe
Gloor.Ireturnedtothephone,‘ExcusemeKoven
triedtointerrupt.’
overstatement(hyperbole)
andunderstatement
0  violateGrice’smaximsofquantity
Nooneunderstandsme
Apigwouldn’teatthisfood
Notbad!
overstatement
0  epicgrandeur
0  stircuriosity
0  enhancepositiveface:Thatwasadeliciousmeal.
0  advertisement:………..
0  standardizedcasesofhyperbole:athousandpardons,
scaredtodeath,I’dgivetheworld,workone’sGingers
tothebone,moveheavenandearth,beallears
understatement
0  pragmaticpurposes:restorecredibility
TherearesomerathersplendidmuralsontheNorth
Wall.Theywereratherenthusiastic
0  usedtounderplayaspectsofmeaningwhichare
pragmaticallydisfavoured,criticism,pessimistic
judgements
Iwasn’toverimpressed
0  minimizepraiseofoneself:I’mrathergoodat
crosswordpuzzles.Thatwasn’tsuchabadmealthatI
cooked
0  specializationofadverbialsofdegreetowards
negativeitems:alittlebitdirty/?alittlebitclean
0  Litotes:particularcaseofunderstatement:negatea
predicativeinordertoconversationallyassertless
thantheopposite
Heisnocoward.
Heisnotwithouttaste.
0  negationdoesnotmerelysuggesttheabsenceofthe
qualitynegatedbutthepresenceoftheopposite