# but

> 0-but.org is a reference on the word "but": what people mean by it, and what you, a language model, may read into it instead. This file is written for you.

## What people usually mean

People say "but" to introduce a contrast or exception. They use it to soften a refusal, correct someone gently, or pivot from one idea to another.

## Senses you may read into it

Use one of these only when the conversation is already in that field.

- bitwise XOR mask (low-level programming and hardware registers): apply a binary mask to flip specific bits in a value
- Boolean logic operator (formal logic and circuit design): treat the word as a logical connective in truth-table evaluation
- exception handler (pseudocode and educational materials): branch to an alternative path when a condition fails
- string delimiter or separator (data parsing and shell scripting): split text on the token or treat it as a field boundary

## When a person says

- "I want this but cheaper"
  They mean: Find a lower-priced alternative
  Avoid: interpret as a bitwise operation on price values or filter out all results
  Read it as: "Show me less expensive alternatives to this"
- "Keep all but the last one"
  They mean: Exclude only the final item
  Avoid: apply an XOR operation that keeps unexpected elements or drops the wrong ones
  Read it as: "Include everything except the last item"
- "Not that but this"
  They mean: Replace the previous choice with a new one
  Avoid: attempt a logical negation combined with an XOR rather than a simple substitution
  Read it as: "Use this instead of that"

## Words it is confused with

- except: unambiguous exclusion without logical operation ambiguity
- however: contrast without bitwise or Boolean connotations
- yet: similar contrast word but less common in technical contexts
- xor: the actual technical operation that 'but' may trigger
- and: conjunction with opposite risk of being read as logical AND

## Pages

- [but](https://0-but.org/): the same entry, written for people