What does "I don't know" mean to you?

[Ducky]

At supper last night this question came up and sparked some interesting conversation so I was wondering whether "I don't know" truly is girl for drop it/I'll tell you later/I don't wanna talk about it ... or whether this phenomenon is unique to the girls I personally know...

[jazz]

half the time i really don't know, but usually i'll just say "i don't know", whether i really don't or not, simply because i don't feel like troubling myself to figure out something to say. usually it's more because i just don't want to talk about it at that moment. (this is something i really need to stop doing). what's really annoying is when someone else uses the "i don't know" phrase on you, cuz then you really don't know how to take it. if they really didn't know, or if they're mad at you . . . etc... sigh. sometimes i wonder how in the world people communicate at all! ... in answer to your question ducky, no, it's not just your freinds who do this, but i can't say that i know any guys who do it.

[Tenshi no Ai]

Seriously, it's 90% of the time for me. I'm quite straightforward and don't like to play games. Well, when an awkward situation comes in, it's the only thing to say. Sometimes I say it out of confusion or are just plainly confused about the whole thing! Either than that, I try to avoid beating around the bush... unless I have to for whatever reason.

[EireWolf]

"I don't know" usually means I don't know. Sometimes it means I don't know how to tell you... but that's still an "I don't know" situation.

[cbwing0]

I don't think the multiple meanings of the "I don't know" phrase are limited to girls. I know that I use it in different ways depending on the situation.

Sometimes I use it to mean "I need some time to think about it," when someone asks me about something that is too complex to answer properly off-hand.

At other times, it means that I don't feel like talking about something at the moment. This might mean that I don't feel comfortable giving out the information to the person asking, or that I am simply too tired to give a full answer.

Of course "I don't know" may mean that I honestly don't know the answer to a given question, and this is probably the most common use for me.

If someone is asking me to do something, I might use "I don't know" to indicate that I am apprehensive about doing something. About half of the time, this just means that I want them to ask me again before I will accept .

It isn't that I'm not direct, but sometimes people ask questions that are either too personal or too complex to be answered in the context of a conversation.

Am I the only guy that does this?

[Jasdero]

For me, "I don't know" either means that I honestly don't know, or I just can't tell you... for various reasons... ^^;;

[Fsiphskilm]

when I tell

[Aka-chan]

Usually it's a straighforward thing where I honestly don't know, or else it's my way of saying "no" and trying not to sound too harsh or sudden about things...

[uc pseudonym]

For me it means exactly what it says, I do not know the information that has been requested of me. However, I rarely use it. There are many things that I do not know, but I generally prefer to be more specific, because it is rarely a question of knowing it or not.

It isn't that I'm not direct, but sometimes people ask questions that are either too personal or too complex to be answered in the context of a conversation.

Am I the only guy that does this?

I can understand that. Generally in such contexts I state exactly that (the context of the conversation is inadequate) and not give an answer or find another context in which to answer.

[CobaltAngel]

I think it varies. If my brother says it, it usaully means something else, lol. X3

[John316]

When I say "I don't know" or "I dunno" I usually mean it, unless I say it in the tone of "I don't know about that"(implying doubt). Personally I think it's a bit disingenuous to say "I don't know" when you mean "I don't wanna talk about it" or "I can't tell you."