Rynar wrote:
DE:
I find it to be on the outer edge of irony, that you, who so consistantly condem semantics as a cructial part of debate in issues pertaining to the high law of the land, are now getting your pantys in a bunch over the meaning of the world clearly. "Clearly" indicates an absolute, or the a near absolute to the point of it being indistinguishable.
The American Heritage Dictionary wrote:
clear (klîr)
adj. clear·er, clear·est
1. Free from clouds, mist, or haze: a clear day.
2. Not obscured or darkened; bright: clear daylight; a clear yellow.
3. Easily seen through; transparent: clear water.
4. Free from flaw, blemish, or impurity: a clear, perfect diamond; a clear record with the police.
5. Free from impediment, obstruction, or hindrance; open: a clear view; a clear path to victory.
6. Plain or evident to the mind; unmistakable: a clear case of cheating.
7. Easily perceptible to the eye or ear; distinct.
8. Discerning or perceiving easily; keen: a clear mind.
9. Free from doubt or confusion; certain.
10. Free from qualification or limitation; absolute: a clear winner.
11. Free from guilt; untroubled: a clear conscience.
12. Having been freed from contact, proximity, or connection: At last we were clear of the danger. The ship was clear of the reef.
13. Free from charges or deductions; net: a clear profit.
14. Containing nothing
Just knock it off, man.
Knock off what? You're the one who was claiming I was changing from "likely" to "universal" by using the word "clearly", when, as your own definitions show, "clearly" does not necessarily imply any universal. It has nothing to do with things being universal, it has to do with them being obvious. My sentence meant "clearl" with regard to what you said was "likely" as in the most common. I didn't specify "the most common" because it was implied and understood in the sentence. Evidently I forgot just how attractive a semantic nitpick is as a way to avoid the actual issue... my bad
I'm not the one getting in an uproar over semantics her, that would be you, worrying about whether you were saying that opinion would be held by all or most people who reasoned in the way I stated, while completely failing to address any of the other questions I raised.