This is my predicament:

Dad: Son, come in here, we need to talk.

Me: What's up, Dad?

Dad: There's a scratch down the side of the car. Did you do it?

Me: I don't believe, if I understand the definition of "scratch the car," that I can say, truthfully, that I scratched the car.

Dad: Well, it wasn't there yesterday, and you drove the car last night, and no one else has driven it since. How can you explain the scratch?

Me: Well, as I've said before, I have no recollection of scratching the car. While it is true that I did take the car out last night, I did not scratch it.

Dad: Your sister told me she saw you back the car against the mailbox at the end of the driveway, heard a loud scraping sound, saw you get out to examine the car, and then drive away. So again I'll ask you, yes or no, did you scratch the car?

Me: Oh, you mean you think you have evidence to prove that I scratched it. Well, you see, I understood you to mean did "I" scratch the car. I stand by my earlier statement, that I did not scratch the car.

Dad: Are you trying to tell me you didn't drive the car into the mailbox?

Me: Well, you see sir, I was trying to drive the car into the street. I mishandled the steering of the car, and it resulted in direct contact with the mailbox, though that was clearly not my intent.

Dad: So you are saying that you did hit the mailbox?

Me: No sir, that's not my statement. I'll refer you back to my original statement that I did not scratch the car.

Dad: But the car did hit the mailbox, and the car did get scratched as a result of the contact?

Me: Well, yes, I suppose you could categorize it that way.

Dad: So you lied to me when you said you did not scratch the car?

Me: No. No, that is not correct. Your question was "Did I scratch the car?" From a strict legal definition, as I understood the meaning of that sentence, I did not scratch the car... the mailbox did... I was merely present when the scratching occurred. So my answer of "No" when you asked, "Did I scratch the car" was legally correct, although I did not volunteer information.

Dad: Where did you learn to talk like a complete idiot?

Me: From the President of the United States.

Please, Sir, would you use your legalistic maneuverability to get me out of this, as Dad is not very happy with me right now, and I am grounded?

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