11/12/2023 0 Comments Julius caesar quotes about betrayalBut of course, since you've technically complied with all instructions the company can't fire you for incompetence or insubordination. If an experienced worker decides to follow every detail of every instruction, work grinds to almost a halt. Instructions have to be painstakingly worded such that someone who has no idea what they are doing can complete the task reasonably well. In Real Life doing this with instructions (for example, in your workplace), is called "malicious compliance" or "working to rule." It's a form of striking often used by health care workers and others in industries where refusing to work would put lives at risk. Often a very important part of the Comically Wordy Contract, but easy to overlook because the contract is so damned wordy. Contrast with I Lied, for when the opposing party makes no effort to hide the fact that they were not holding to their end. Can also lead to a Literal Metaphor, Literal Money Metaphor and to Literalist Snarking, as well as Loophole Abuse. When used in response to a question can often result in a Mathematician's Answer. The actual interpretation of the words is often Not Hyperbole. It's very commonly used in False Reassurance. Unhand Them, Villain! is a specific variant. Compare Heroic Vow, I Would Say If I Could Say, Technical Euphemism, Ironic Echo, and Metaphorically True. In the case of prophecies and prophecy twists, Fridge Logic kicks in, leading one to wonder what the heck the prophet actually saw, and why would the prophet word it as such?Ī Sub-Trope of Double Meaning. If this trope is related to or defines a superpower, it's called a Semantic Superpower. If someone follows established rules to annoy someone else, it becomes Bothering by the Book. Can be defended against with Legalese, though might be used (and horribly abused) by a Rules Lawyer. Literal-Minded characters just do it because that's how they think. The Beleaguered Bureaucrat will often insist on them, when the exceptions really would be a problem.įor magical enforcement, see Literal Genie. The Obstructive Bureaucrat will insist on them as if the Vast Bureaucracy would fall apart if exceptions were made. Often, a user of Exact Words will parrot the specific wording of the agreement, smugly or matter-of-factly, when confronted about their duplicity, in order to taunt the other person or point out that they technically didn't lie. Undercover heroes often tell the Big Bad that "Your operation is very impressive, and you deserve everything that's coming to you" - both of which are true, without specifying what exactly is coming their way. Also a common (and not always evil) way to play with Just Following Orders or the Leonine Contract. A common trait of Lawful Evil characters. The Knight Templar, the Anti-Hero, and those with even looser standards (but some standards) will often stick to Exact Words even as they declare I Gave My Word. matters more than the spirit of the wording, it's an Exact Words situation. When the exact wording of a rule, promise, prophecy, etc. The Order of the Stick, "Flew the Coop"
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