To make less sense in specific context than it does in abstract context. The obscuring of a definition by a context that does not make sense.
Lydia and Brian are walking down an empty road.
B: Why are you hanging onto the hem of my coat?
L: Because I'm small and afraid of getting lost in a crowd.
While Lydia's rationalization makes perfect sense in abstract, in the context of not having a crowd to get lost in, her rationalization is entirely misdirected. The sentence of explanation that precedes the sample dialogue contratextualizes.
B: Why are you hanging onto the hem of my coat?
L: Because I'm small and afraid of getting lost in a crowd.
While Lydia's rationalization makes perfect sense in abstract, in the context of not having a crowd to get lost in, her rationalization is entirely misdirected. The sentence of explanation that precedes the sample dialogue contratextualizes.
by JohnKeats February 4, 2014