proverb · Words worth keeping
The meaning is best known to the speaker.
The meaning is best known to the speaker.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The speaker has access to their intended meaning that listeners may lack. Ask for clarification while still considering what the words actually communicate to others.
Example
Two collaborators clarify whether a brief instruction was meant as a suggestion or a decision before proceeding differently.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The saying gives the speaker a privileged view of what they meant to express. Listeners, however, encounter the words and their setting rather than direct access to that intention. When an exchange is unclear, asking the speaker can reveal a distinction or assumption that was left unstated. It does not settle every disagreement about the effect of the words. A person may mean one thing and communicate another. Intention therefore helps interpretation, but cannot automatically erase confusion, contradiction or the consequences of an expression.
When to use it
Use it to invite clarification instead of pretending to read another person’s mind.
Keep in mind
The speaker’s stated intention does not erase what was said or require others to ignore its effect.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown