Meanings

The sentence “I didn't say John took the cookies” can mean many different things:1) I didn't say John took the cookies – that is, someone else said it.2) I didn't say John took the cookies – that is, I did not say this3) I didn't say John took the cookies – that is, he may well have taken them, but I didn't say so4) I didn't say John took the cookies – I said someone else did!5) I didn't say John took the cookies – no, he took the ice cream! Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's remark in 1964 that he couldn't define pornography, but, "I know it when I see it," which leads to probably unanswerable questions about the media consumption habits of Supreme Court justices).