@TheParser,
Quote:... because it is often impossible to analyze (since we do not know what is actually in the mind of the speaker).
Analyse grammatically or pragmatically/semantically, James? Grammatically it's usually fairly straight forward depending on one's prowess with grammar. But grammar is rather artificial.
The real difficulty is to be found in the field of pragmatics, the study of meaning.
Remember when Mame gave you that snotty reply. There was actually some great advice to be found therein. She said, if I recall correctly, that it all depends and that is so true.
What's thee most important thing in determining meaning?
CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT
Native speakers can easily be fooled as to what a given sentence means because the surrounding context is vitally important, as you yourself have noted, above.
That's why Engineer, who virtually always gives excellent, well thought out advice on language, [is that 9 times out of ten or 9.75 times out of ten?] missed it this time, saying he had never heard such a collocation.
We can all be tricked because so often our minds lock on a meaning/scenario to the exclusion of others.
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