It seems to me that language creates our personal social reality. Take, for instance, the following statement:

I'll do the dishes for you.

The "for you" implies that they are your dishes, your responsibility, and this is an offer to relieve you of a task defined as yours--by the statement itself.

Here's another:

Your dog made a mess of the papers in the living room.

"Your dog" implies that the dog, and its actions, are yours and your problem and that problem entails cleaning up after it. The speaker abjures himself of all responsibility and ownership of the dog.

"I'll help you with your chores. What do you want me to do?"

Enough of these statements gathered as a body of frequent iteration constitute a declaration that the household chores and attendant problems belong to you, by definition, and any help is offered as a gift for which you should be properly grateful, but by which the giver does not accept any ownership past, present or future.

And all you did was say, "thank you." If you point out the pronoun usage 'you're playing a game' or 'picking nits' and 'I don't understand what all the fuss is about.' 'I never said the housework was all yours, did I?'

Well, not in so many words, but all the words gathered together made it pretty clear which one of us married the house.

Anybody out there understand what I'm talking about?