Sometimes people talk funny.

A classic example in this country is when a receptionist type person wants to know your name.
The question put is this: "What was your name?"
Sometimes the ratbag in me escapes and I choose a response from one of the following…
- You want my maiden name? (said with some surprise)
- Same as it was before. (said nodding enthusiastically)
- It hasn't changed lately. (said with a slight head shake)

I get the most amazed stares when I do that.
So I repeat my response, or swap it for one of the others to see if that goes down any differently.
Usually it doesn't at all.
Eventually I have to come to the rescue with (said as though I have just made a discovery) "Oh, you mean you want to know what is my name?"
By then the poor hapless receptionist type, fixing me with smouldering eyes, is quite ready to arrange my admission to some asylum as far away as possible.

Today I heard another quaint little gem.
The receptionist concerned was talking to the caller on the other end of the phone, someone who did not cause too much of a problem when asked what was her name.
The next question was "How do I spell that?"
Had that been asked of me, my ratbag would likely have replied "Well, I guess that is up to you. I can't really answer that."

Oh, you really meant to ask "How do you spell that?" Silly me. I should have corrected the pronoun for you. Well I guess I just did.

Why don't people say what they really mean?

OK, time to trot off and digest another helping of the dictionary.