- Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2

Oh, wait...that was a descriptor, not an instruction, wasn't it? Sorry... ;P

To your point, as a bit of a language purist, I somewhat concur: over-emphasizing interpretation of intent of the speaker can subvert the purpose of language. But on the other hand, rigidity in the lexicon and insistence that authorial intent must override interpretation doesn't work, either. The precursor influences that produce language as a reaction to the desire to communicate to others change over time and from culture to culture. Language requires a not-inconsiderable degree of flexibility in order to be able to respond to changing situations (including changing cultural assessments of those situations).

We as language users can get caught between the need for that adaptive response and the frustration of having a too-adaptive lexicon seem like a house built on a foundation of shifting sand. As I have no doubt you realize, it's a matter of finding the optimal balance.