--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The screen came up to light again…" description: "\"“The screen came up to light again, showing a devastated section of the city grid. No, not decimated. Had that part of the city been decimated, one out..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/jim-butcher-151_words-mean_the-screen-came-up-to-light-again-showin_1069660.jpg" --- # The screen came up to light again, showing a devastated… ![“The screen came up to light again, showing a devastated section of the city grid. No, not decimated. Had that part of the city been decimated, one out of every ten buildings would be destroyed. That’s what decimated means. Personally, I think some early-years, respected television personality got…” quote by Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/jim-butcher-151_words-mean_the-screen-came-up-to-light-again-showin_1069660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/jim-butcher-151_words-mean_the-screen-came-up-to-light-again-showin_1069660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/jim-butcher-151_words-mean_the-screen-came-up-to-light-again-showin_1069660.jpg) > ““The screen came up to light again, showing a devastated section of the city grid. No, not decimated. Had that part of the city been decimated, one out of every ten buildings would be destroyed. That’s what decimated means. Personally, I think some early-years, respected television personality got decimated and devastated confused at some point, and no one wanted to point it out to him, so everyone started using them interchangeably. But dammit, words mean what they mean, even if everyone thinks they ought to mean something else.”” [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage highlights how words lose precise meaning when used loosely, leading to confusion and erosion of clear communication. **In simple terms:** Words lose meaning when misused. Key Takeaway Use language precisely. Themes communication language precision misunderstanding Mood frustrated critical Type observational analytical When to use this quote - writing - editing - teaching - public speaking - media analysis Key Concepts semantics lexicology cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure you use terms accurately? - What are the consequences of conflating similar words? A Different Perspective People often ignore subtle differences, causing broader misunderstandings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [The Games have been decimated. If you take away the Eastern Bloc, you take away 50% of the medals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-pickering/the-games-have-been-decimated-if-you-take-away-the-eastern-bloc-you/) [Ron Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-pickering/) > [And there it was again. Another religion turned against itself. Another edifice constructed by the human mind, decimated by human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/and-there-it-was-again-another-religion-turned-against-itself-another/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [We did really, really badly with older African-American voters. I mean we got decimated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/we-did-really-really-badly-with-older-african-american-voters-i-mean/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [“I’m on fire when I look at you,” he says, his voice reverent and his gaze electric on me. “You decimated me just now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-evans/i-m-on-fire-when-i-look-at-you-he-says-his-voice-reverent-and-his/) [Katy Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-evans/) > [All generals, officers, and soldiers who capitulate in battle to save their own lives should be decimated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/all-generals-officers-and-soldiers-who-capitulate-in-battle-to-save/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Alcohol decimated the working class and so many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/alcohol-decimated-the-working-class-and-so-many-people/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [We have to protect our inner cities, because African-American communities are being decimated by crime, decimated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-have-to-protect-our-inner-cities-because-african-american/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Music is an art that expresses the inexpressible. 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A few words can mean so much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sparkling-amethyst/i-love-you-a-few-words-can-mean-so-much/) Sparkling Amethyst > [“Words mean nothing Actions are everything Expect nothing Appreciate everything”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cruz/words-mean-nothing-actions-are-everything-expect-nothing-appreciate/) [Patrick Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cruz/) > [“The real me lives in words, not in what words mean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/the-real-me-lives-in-words-not-in-what-words-mean/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [Words can be twisted into any shape. Promises can be made to lull the heart and seduce the soul. In the final analysis, words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-be-twisted-into-any-shape-promises-can-be-made-to-lull-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Only GOD can judge me, mans words mean nothing at the end of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-god-can-judge-me-mans-words-mean-nothing-at-the-end-of-the-day/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is a magic book. Words mean things. When you put them together they speak. Yes, sometimes they flatten out and nothing they say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/it-is-a-magic-book-words-mean-things-when-you-put-them-together-they/) [Samuel R. 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In the meantime you can sext or meme them.” “YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE WORDS MEAN, DAD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-morrison/i-ll-see-when-a-trip-s-feasible-in-the-meantime-you-can-sext-or-meme/) Zack Morrison Browse all 101 Words Mean quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The screen came up to light again, showing a devastated section of the city grid. No, not decimated. Had that part of the city been decimated, one out of every ten buildings would be destroyed. That’s what decimated means. Personally, I think some early-years, respected television personality got decimated and devastated confused at some point, and no one wanted to point it out to him, so everyone started using them interchangeably. 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