Aristotle Rhetoric 3.18.4

1. For the first of the quibbles Sandys refers to Aristoph. Ach. 396 , where Cephisophon, being asked if Euripides was indoors, replies, Yes and no, if you understand me; and he gives the explanation, his mind is outside, collecting scraps of poetry, while he himself is upstairs ( ἀναβάδην, unless it means with his legs up) composing a tragedy. The reference in the second instance is to the adversary being reduced to such a position that he cannot answer without having recourse to sophistical divisions and distinctions, which seem to imply uncertainty. Aristotle himself is fond of such cautiously limited judgements (Gomperz). The translation is that of the reading ἀποροῦντος, a conjecture of Spengel's. The audience will be ready to express its disapproval of his shuffling answers, which are evidence of his perplexity. The ordinary reading ἀποροῦντες attributes the perplexity to the hearers. Or, the hearers, thinking he is puzzled, applaud us [the interrogator] (Jebb).