Case III (a): "High Ho"

--- to mean

"Well, that's the way the world goes."

I find that hateful (even if coming from Grice, WoW:361) because he is pouring scorn on things like Frege.

---

For,

-- what is the use of 'well'?

It seems that it would be otiose to say:

--- By uttering "High Ho", the utterer meant that, well, that WAS the way the world WENT."

Yet we DO NEED to use 'meant' in the preterite. Perhaps we can stick to the present (why wouldn't we?)

--- "By uttering "High Ho", U meant that, well, that's the way the world goes."

---

But "well", well, I find problems in adapting to Frege's illocutionary turnstile sign. Or not.

It seems to me that to say

EITHER

"Heigh Ho"

OR

"Well, that's the way the world goes"

cannot but be OTIOSE in any conversation whatsoever. Surely we need to implicate something -- usually bad.

A (customer). That was some high prostitute.
B: High ho.
A. What do you mean? (I wouldn't use 'ho' like that).
B. No. I don't mean 'whore'. I mean, 'well, that's the way the world goes.'
A. Bugger off.
B. Or not.