--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing about words is that meanings…" description: "\"The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/terry-pratchett-19_behinds_the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-c_642079.jpg" --- # The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like… ![“The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/terry-pratchett-19_behinds_the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-c_642079.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/terry-pratchett-19_behinds_the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-c_642079.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/terry-pratchett-19_behinds_the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-c_642079.jpg) > “The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words can shift meaning, so hidden truths lie in altered language. **In simple terms:** Meanings shift; hidden truths appear in changed words. Key Takeaway Look for altered language to uncover hidden meaning. Themes language interpretation truth semantics Mood curious analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading literature - analyzing political rhetoric - decoding legal documents Key Concepts semiotics linguistic relativity Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify a word’s intended meaning? - What clues signal a shift in language? A Different Perspective Meanings can be ambiguous, leading to misinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Snakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snakes/) ## Related quotes > [I look for the words, Professor. I look for the words because I believe that the words is the way to your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-look-for-the-words-professor-i-look-for-the-words-because-i-believe/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“... words are just words, but the meanings they carry, the way the world bends around them, that's what's complicated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-king/words-are-just-words-but-the-meanings-they-carry-the-way-the-world/) M. King > [You know sometimes words have two meanings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/you-know-sometimes-words-have-two-meanings/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [It is important that we realize that words have meanings far beyond the dictionary definition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/it-is-important-that-we-realize-that-words-have-meanings-far-beyond/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [I work real hard so the reader doesn't have to. I don't want them to have to look up words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-work-real-hard-so-the-reader-doesn-t-have-to-i-don-t-want-them-to/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [I discover what I mean as I write. That can be both terrifically exciting and very dangerous, because when you look at your words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/i-discover-what-i-mean-as-i-write-that-can-be-both-terrifically/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [“I look at words as if they were entities, sacred beings. There are words to which I tip my hat when I see them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-luce/i-look-at-words-as-if-they-were-entities-sacred-beings-there-are/) William Luce > [“If you look up a word in the dictionary, you find it defined by a string of other words, the meanings of which can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/if-you-look-up-a-word-in-the-dictionary-you-find-it-defined-by-a/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [One writes to find words' meanings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-williams/one-writes-to-find-words-meanings/) [Joy Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-williams/) > [“Only the educated stop to look for words - having enough to occasionally misplace them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-b-miller/only-the-educated-stop-to-look-for-words-having-enough-to/) [Derek B. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-b-miller/) > [Weigh the meaning and look not at the words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/weigh-the-meaning-and-look-not-at-the-words/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [“Yes, if you believed in words, if you lived by words, you had better be careful which words you say and how you say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/yes-if-you-believed-in-words-if-you-lived-by-words-you-had-better-be/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/occasionally-in-life-there-are-those-moments-of-unutterable/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [For me, the eye and the word go together. Even when I was working in word documents, I was always obsessed with fonts, size,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-tupitsyn/for-me-the-eye-and-the-word-go-together-even-when-i-was-working-in/) [Masha Tupitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-tupitsyn/) > [“Everybody complains that politics separates words from their meanings, and this is part of the reason why. Words are useful, but often their meanings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-swaim/everybody-complains-that-politics-separates-words-from-their-meanings/) Barton Swaim ## More by Terry Pratchett > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. 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'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More Behinds quotes > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. 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If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) > [With the realization of God comes all power. If the little wave knew that behind it is the great ocean, it could say, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/with-the-realization-of-god-comes-all-power-if-the-little-wave-knew/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. 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With or without a record, with or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/i-m-really-thankful-to-god-man-like-now-i-m-really-making-a-real/) [Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Pratchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-can-twist-just-like-a-snake/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behinds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-can-twist-just-like-a-snake/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/terry-pratchett-19_behinds_the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-c_642079.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/terry-pratchett-19_behinds_the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-c_642079.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/terry-pratchett-19_behinds_the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-c_642079.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for…” — Terry Pratchett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Terry Pratchett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The thing about words is that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-can-twist-just-like-a-snake/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-thing-about-words-is-that-meanings-can-twist-just-like-a-snake/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```