perhaps

Photograph of Moira Forjaz by Sam Haskins from 'Cowboy Kate'.


When a diplomat says yes, he means ‘perhaps’;
When he says perhaps, he means ‘no’;
When he says no, he is not a diplomat.

When a lady says no, she means ‘perhaps’;
When she says perhaps, she means ‘yes’;
When she says yes, she is not a lady.

Voltaire (Quoted, in Spanish, in Escandell 1993.)