Violations of maxim of Quality
Okay, get in there and kick some spankable as”. In here, Lily‟s answer as written in bold previously shows that she is not being brief to Robin. By saying that
Robin has nice heels and that she has lost her purse, she wants Robin to understand the implicature she is trying to deliver. Lily is not merely telling Robin
that she has really nice heels without any purpose. Since previously Robin has lost her purse, Lily does not want Robin to break her nice shoes and lose them as well
only because of kicking the apartment‟s door. Thus, Lily proceeds by checking the front door; whether or not it is locked. Since it is not, Lily then gives a clue to
Robin to come inside. The conversation in the situation above shows that Lily gives Robin a long
winded explanation. Lily could have become more brief and direct to Robin and should have just answered Robin‟s question by telling her to come inside without
kicking the front door. In here, it is concluded that Lily is seen as violating the maxim of Manner because she provides long winded explanation by saying her
statement as written in bold above.
Data code: Marshall Why cant two guys who are friends go to brunch?
Ted Because brunch is kind of...
Robin Girly.
Marshall
Girly? Breakfast isnt girly. Lunch isnt girly. What makes brunch girly?
19VioManInc Ted I dont know. Theres nothing girly about a
horse, nothing girly about a horn, but put them together and you get a unicorn.
Marshall
I dont care what either of you say, I am going to the Popover Pantry with Brad.
The conversation above is the same conversation which is explained
previously as data 14VioQuanInc. In here, as explained before, Marshall asks
Ted and Robin the reason why two guys who are friends cannot go to brunch. After that, Ted answers, ”Because brunch is kind of...”, and then Robin finishes
his statement by adding, “Girly”. In here, since Robin blatantly gives less
information to Marshall than what is required, he does not get any idea of what Robin is trying to say. Thus, he asks them for an explanation. Therefore, Ted
answers, “I dont know. Theres nothing girly about a horse, nothing girly about a horn, but put them together and you get a unicorn
”. From his statement, Ted attempts Marshall to look for an implicature beyond his answer.
By saying his statement as written in bold previously, Ted is implying that brunch is usually attended by couples; a man and a woman who are on a date.
Implicitly, Ted is saying that two guys who are friends having brunch together is rare to be done. Hence, if Marshall and Brad go to brunch together even though as
friends, people who see them will think differently. In fact, instead of telling this implicature to Marshall directly, Ted chooses to use the unicorn as a parable to
Marshall so that he can understand the deeper meaning beyond it. However, it turns out that Marshall does not understand Ted‟s explanation which is
mentioning horse and unicorn. Thus, Ted‟s implicature is not successfully delivered to Marshall. In here, Ted is not being cooperative in the conversation.
From the explanation above, by not being brief and direct in delivering his message to Marshall about the fact that brunch is usually attended by couples, Ted
is seen as violating the maxim of Manner. In order to be more cooperative, Ted could have just directly explained his message to Marshall that brunch is usually
attended by couples.