A very short short story:

Being a stickler for exactness in wording has a price at times.

I was walking down the street the other day, when a friend drove up alongside me, rolled down his window and asked, "Can I give you a lift to where you're going?


"No you can't," I replied.


"Aha, gotch that time, Frank," he shot back, "...what you mean is you don't want a ride...not that I cannot take you to where you are going. Right!"


"Wrong," sez I.


"Wrong?" he asks incredulously.


"Wrong," repeat I.


"Okay, tell where you'r goin' and I'll prove that I can drive you there," he insisted.


"I'm goin' for a walk," sez I.


"See ya later," sez he.