Learn English – word that describes this particular sneaky play on words

expression-requestsphrase-requestssemanticssingle-word-requests

I'm wondering if there's a word that describes this type of language sneakiness:

I asked my boyfriend to stop talking to his ex-girlfriend, or I would break up with him. He agreed to stop talking to her. A week later, I find out he's been texting her all along, and when I confronted him, he said, "I said I'd stop talking to her, I didn't say I wouldn't text her."

This is just a made-up story, but I am wondering if there is a word in English that describes precisely this kind of deception.

Kind of like using semantics to get over on someone. Like a bad (or good?) lawyer, I guess.

Anyone have any ideas?

Best Answer

You're asking for a term to describe the situation where someone does exactly what you asked, but still managed to avoid doing what you wanted.

It sounds like he's obeying the letter of the law but not its spirit.

The letter of the law versus the spirit of the law is an idiomatic antithesis. When one obeys the letter of the law but not the spirit, one is obeying the literal interpretation of the words (the "letter") of the law, but not necessarily the intent of those who wrote the law. Conversely, when one obeys the spirit of the law but not the letter, one is doing what the authors of the law intended, though not necessarily adhering to the literal wording. - wikipedia

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