I’m always amused when I ask someone if they mind if I do something, and they say yes when they really mean to say no. Here’s an example:

Me: “Do you mind if I borrow your printer?”

Other person: “Sure, go ahead.”

Wrong answer! The question was, do you mind?, so the answer should be no. In an ideal world, this is the way people would answer:

Me: “Do you mind if I borrow your printer?”

Other person: “What’s wrong with your printer?”

Me: “Well, I just got a new laser printer, and the paper jammed, and when I went to replace the toner the store was closed, so I had to go to visit my neighbor…”

Other person (Yawn!): “No, I don’t mind. Go ahead.”

Sigrid Macdonald is the author of three books, including Be Your Own Editor http://tinyurl.com/7wnk5se and two erotic short stories, which she wrote under the pen name Tiffanie Good. Silver Publishing just released “The Pink Triangle,” a tale of friendship, lust, and betrayal. You can view her story here: http://tinyurl.com/6v65rgr