Let's say you just met a stranger, and you say:
1.I never would have guessed.
To
2.I never thought of that.
What is their meaning and difference.
In a movie I am watching at the moment, the main character(after a short introduction amongst themselves) said ''Really? I never would have guessed'' after meeting another stranger.
why did he just said ''Really? I never would have guessed'' instead of ''I never thought of that'' is this cultural or something? Thx.
Best Answer
Both "I never would have guessed ..." and "I never would have thought ..." are simply "stock" phrases to express mild surprise, but the actual degree depends more on context and intonation.
The first sentence indicates polite amazement. The second sarcastically indicates a complete lack of surprise.
"I never thought of that" is somewhat different. This suggests a lack of information or proper reasoning, which may be surprising. Again the exact meaning depends entirely on context.
Tone is everything with this sentence. It can be honest surprise that the "PBJ" is a thing, or it can be sarcasm since everyone knows this.