See, this is an example of your "Mr Logic" literality.
"AIUI", or "it's my understanding that..." implies uncertainty. Nobody would use it before a fact they were certain of.
But you believe me enough to ask me the question in the first place? Riiight....
Oh I see - so I refer you elsewhere for the answer, I use AIUI which as above implies uncertainty, and I "pretend I know everything"? I take back the Mr Logic comparison, he's far more normal than you....
It actually implies a 'lower-than-usual' level of uncertainty, because it indicates that you have obtained an understanding of the subject, and that it is your belief that what you say is true.
"Andy Pandy" wrote
No-one can ever be *certain* of anything!
"Andy Pandy" wrote
It was a rhetorical question. Don't you understand those?
"Andy Pandy" wrote
Saying "it might be in the archives - go search them" is hardly a satisfactory reference.
"Andy Pandy" wrote
No it doesn't - the 'U' stands for "Understand",
*not* "Uncertain[ty]"!!
It therefore implies an *understanding* of it, which you later agreed you didn't have.
"Andy Pandy" wrote
Well, you did initially say that as you understood it, "the partner is guilty of fraud". Only *after* I responded to that, did you come clean and admit that you were uncertain.
"Andy Pandy" wrote
You think I'm better than Mr Logic? Hi praise indeed! [We should all aspire to be better-than-normal...]
"Andy Pandy" wrote
Ah, running off again? Perhaps you're trying to pay for your deposit with money that you don't have, again?
It is my understanding that it implies a *higher than usual* level of *un*certainty (or a *lower than usual* level of **certainty).
Aside: Heh, putting asterisks around something implies a form of underlining or emphasis. It is possible to emphasise nothing? Evidetly so. The two asterisks in front of the last word in the previous paragraph emphasises the absence of "un". :-)
I think that goes a bit too far. I think it means that while you are not aware of any specific reasons why it should be untrue, you are not necessarily convinced that it is true. E.g. it sounds plausible, but you only heard it from a man in the pub.
The phrase is generally used when the understanding has been formed on the basis of information gleaned from a source of substandard reliability, or from a potentially unreliable recollection or interpretation. "I understand ... but may have misunderstood". "I have been led to believe ... but may have been misled."
You use it as a caveat, much like "I wouldn't swear to it".
Are you certain? :-)
Point is, I think, that one can be pretty sure of something to the extent of totally believing it, and in such circumstances one just would not say AIUI.
Yes it does. It implies what he says it implies. What you infer is of course a different matter. You may have a different understanding.
Quite true, but "understand" admits the possibility of misunderstanding and therefore implies (at least some) absence of certainty.
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