"I don't agree totally with all you said"
Does that mean - I agree for the most part with some disagreement?
Edit: Some of the answers provided are a bit contradictory. It is important to understand if they meant "mostly agree" or "mostly disagree."
-
Yes. That is correct.– FeliniusRex - goneCommented Jul 1, 2021 at 9:48
-
1At face value, it means 'I agree with most of what you said.' But it can even be a hedged form of 'I totally disagree.'– Edwin AshworthCommented Jul 1, 2021 at 10:43
-
2"Not totally" implies "partly." They agree with some of what you said. But as @EdwinAshworth pointed out, you can't be sure in informal communications if this is not just a "polite" way of saying they disagree.– GArthurBrownCommented Jul 1, 2021 at 13:10
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
The surface meaning is unambiguously I agree with some but not all.
The ambiguity that the comments are mentioning is not in the words or the grammar, but in social conventions, and will depend greatly on the social setting and the tone of voice. It might be a sort of humorous understatement, that the people are in the habit of using with each other; or it might be an unwillingness to come out and directly disagree.
answered Jul 1, 2021 at 20:50
