Jonathan Schaffer pointed out to me that some odd features about speech reports of elliptical, or at least incomplete, utterances. I don’t really know what I think about all the cases, so I thought I’d put one (relatively silly) case here and see if anyone had any reactions to it.

A believes that gentlemen have the following preference ranking: Redheads, Blondes, Brunettes. The following charming conversations ensue.

B: So A, do you prefer blondes or brunettes?
A: Gentlemen prefer blondes, and I am a gentleman.
(Later that day)
C: I’m trying to decide which of my mistresses to take to the gala ball. I want to look like I’m a very stylish gentleman. Should I take the redhead or the blonde?
B: A said that gentlemen prefer blondes.

I’m inclined to think that B’s last comment here is defective. Is that right? If so, are any there cases where intuitively it’s OK to report something of the form "A said that X prefers Y" where A uttered those very words, but A implicitly meant ‘prefers Y to Z’ and in the context of the report it’s natural to take it as meaning ‘prefers Y to W’. (If I’m wrong, then this is just such a case.) If so, some of my arguments against contextualism about knowledge claims are in need of some revision.