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What does "whatever that means" mean?
Thank you
Feb 2, 2021 4:12 PM
Answers · 2
'Ever' adds rhe sense that it could be many things. So it can mean
1. it can be any number of things that I don't really know.
2. it can be any number of things, but I don't care about them.
#1 is a safe interpretation, but #2 is also common. The context and tone usually tell you which is meant.
February 3, 2021
"Whatever that means" is a very casual phrase, used to suggest that the speaker either doesn't understand, doesn't believe, or is making a negative assumption about the thing they said or heard just before.
For example:
"Jane said she'd "take care of John" for as long as he needed, whatever that means." In this case, the speaker might be suggesting that they don't understand what Jane meant by "take care of John". More likely, the speaker thinks Jane has hidden or negative intentions for John 😨
"The immigration office says they'll notify me of the results of my visa application "as soon as practicable, depending on COVID staffing measures", whatever that means." Maybe here, the speaker doesn't understand what the office means by "COVID staffing measures". Maybe they think the office is just making up excuses.
Hope this helped!
February 3, 2021
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Baboon
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English, Thai
Learning Language
Chinese (Mandarin), English
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