Soft words for hard things: rudeness and swearing

Tests: 4 of 14 right · Exam: 1 of 4 right · Kind: ★★★ · Understood: 7 of 18 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 40 of the euphemisms course of Mova's primary school, as Mova's small model took its tests: it had read this lesson and the ones before it and learned from their exercises. Each test shows the options in the order the student saw them, its choice, the right answer, the score of every option and why it chose. The lesson itself, sentence by sentence with trees and pragmatics: the lesson in the corpora.

Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: the lesson's questions in the corpora.

Test 1 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Headline: "Talks end after 'frank exchange of views' between the two leaders." What really happened?

1. The leaders swapped houses — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. The leaders agreed on everything — no support
3. The leaders became friends — no support
4. The leaders argued angrily — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Office email: "As previously mentioned (twice), the report is due Friday." How does the writer feel?

1. Sorry for being late — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Unsure of the date — no support
3. Happy to remind you again, as a friendly help — no support
4. Annoyed at having to repeat it — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

"no offence but ur drawing looks like a potato" Was the speaker kind?

1. No, it is a joke about food — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Yes, potatoes are lovely — no support
3. No, it is an insult with a polite start — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Yes, "no offence" makes it kind — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★★★ · right ✓

A footballer was sent off for flipping the bird at the crowd. What did he do?

1. He did a backflip in front of the fans to celebrate — no support
2. He threw a pigeon at them — score 4
3. He raised his middle finger at them — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 11
4. He waved a flag at them — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 3 with score 11, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 40, line 8: «"Flip the bird" means raise the middle finger as an insult; it is American slang.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+5); the same action «raise» (+4); the same thing acted on «middle finger» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Sam says "with all due respect" means you really respect the person a lot. right?

1. Yes, it is the polite greeting used for a king or queen — no support
2. Yes, it means great respect — ← Mova's choice · score 6
3. No, it usually comes before "you're wrong" — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. No, it means you are scared — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 40, line 23: «"Not a people person" means unfriendly or rude to others; it is said kindly.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «mean» (+3); the same doer «people person» (+3). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Council report: "The meeting saw a robust discussion of the parking plan." What happened at the meeting?

1. People agreed with no fuss at all, quickly and calmly — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. People built a car park — no support
3. People ate a large meal — no support
4. People argued heatedly about it — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

"Mate, shut the front door, you got a puppy??" What is the speaker feeling?

1. Angry about the puppy — ← Mova's choice · score 6
2. Cold from the open door — score 6
3. Bored and tired — score 6
4. Surprised and excited — ✓ the right answer · score 6

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1, line 4: «So the same fact, "he died", can be said kindly, formally, in old-fashioned words or as a joke, and a clever listener hears both what happened and how the spea…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «speaker» (+4); the same action «feel» (+2). The right option, 4, scored 6. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Teacher's note: "Dad, I'll bear your idea in mind." The idea is never mentioned again. What did "bear it in mind" mean?

1. The teacher drew a bear — no support
2. The teacher used it the next day — ← Mova's choice · score 6
3. The teacher was not going to use it — ✓ the right answer · score 6
4. The teacher wrote it on the board — score 6

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 33, line 2: «Teachers and bosses use gentle words to be kind, such as "room for improvement" on a school report, which really means the work is poor.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same action «use» (+2); the same doer «teachers» (+2). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-1). The right option, 3, scored 6. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★★★ · right ✓

"piss off, go take a running jump" What does the speaker want?

1. The other person to go away — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 9
2. The other person to run faster — no support
3. The other person to do the long jump — score 3
4. The other person to come back — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 9, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 40, line 6: «"Go take a running jump" means go away; it is a British way of telling someone off.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «go away» (+6); the same property (+3). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 10 · ★★★ · right ✓

A politician answers his rival: "I hear what the honourable member is saying..." What will he most likely do next?

1. Argue against him — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Leave the room — no support
3. Agree with everything — no support
4. Admit he is wrong — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Gossip: "His new boss is not exactly a people person — she shouted at the cleaner." What is she like?

1. Good at making friends — ← Mova's choice · score 11
2. Very kind and warm — score 3
3. Very shy and quiet — no support
4. Unfriendly and rude — ✓ the right answer · score 3

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 11, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 6, line 3: «Others are jokes that make it less awkward, like calling the toilet "the throne" or saying you must "see a man about a dog".», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «make» (+6); the same doer «jokes» (+5). The right option, 4, scored 3. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★★★ · right ✓

"bless ur heart, u tried to microwave the ice cream to soften it?? lol" What does the speaker think?

1. That was a foolish thing to do — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. That was very brave — no support
3. That was a kind thing to do — no support
4. That was a clever idea — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 13 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

A boss and worker can't agree, and the boss says "Let's agree to disagree." What happens next?

1. The worker wins the argument — no support
2. They both agree with each other in the end after all — ← Mova's choice · score 2
3. The argument stops; neither changes their mind — ✓ the right answer · score 2
4. The boss changes her mind — score 2

Why: It took the question to ask what happens next. It chose option 2 with score 2, tied with another option at 2 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 40, line 19: «"Let's agree to disagree" means "let's stop arguing, because I will not change my mind".», reached through what followed the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «agree» (+4). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-2). The right option, 3, scored 2. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 14 · ★★★ · wrong ✗

Which of these is a rude gesture, not rude words?

1. Per my last email — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. No offence, but — no support
3. The two-fingered salute — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Interesting choice — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓

Where an official communiqué records "a frank exchange of views", identify the nature of the encounter so described.

1. An acrimonious disagreement — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. A meeting with a person named Frank — no support
3. An exchange of diplomatic gifts — no support
4. A cordial and harmonious meeting — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗

Ascertain the meaning most accurately conveyed by the prefatory phrase "with all due respect".

1. The speaker is about to tender an apology — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. The speaker is about to express disagreement — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. The speaker is about to make a request — no support
4. The speaker is about to express admiration — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗

Select the response that is consistent with the established meaning of the expression "per my last email" in correspondence.

1. The sender requests a prompt reply by return — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. The sender intends to cease all correspondence forthwith — no support
3. The recipient has failed to read prior correspondence attentively — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. The previous correspondence was lost in transmission — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗

Identify the gesture denoted by the expression "the one-finger salute".

1. A formal military greeting with the hand — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. The raising of the middle finger as an insult — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. A gesture requesting silence from others — no support
4. The indication of a direction with the finger — no support

Why: Nothing it remembers matched the question, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/euphemisms/40-with-all-due-respect/