In which she finds another Ask/Guess example

Chez Cecile is a column in the locale by a French native adjusting to New Zealand. In this case to our relatively indirect mode of communication. I didn't think New Zealand had that much of a Guess culture - obviously the degree varies - but I recognise so much of what she describes and not all from my own insecurities.

"Interesting" seems to me a natural thing though. I mean, obviously a non-native speaker has to learn that it has a secondary meaning as a euphemistic insult. But in the situation described, when you really want to rant to a group of friends about another person in your group, but have to bear in mind the possibility that maybe the rest of your group think said person is the bee's knees, it just seems incredibly useful to be able to broach the possibility with sufficiently plausible deniability that you can rapidly backpedal as needed to avoid becoming a social outcast.

I guess in Ask cultures one just goes ahead and says, "Wow, she's a real poophead," and then if everyone retorts, "No, you're the poophead," one just goes ahead and backpedals with actual words or something? Or doesn't. Either way this just seems made for TV drama.