Grice's Cooperative Principle assumes speakers try to be as helpful as the exchange requires. Four maxims spell that out: say enough but not too much (Quantity), say what you believe true (Quality), stay on topic (Relevance), and be clear (Manner).
An implicature is meaning the listener infers beyond the literal words — often because a reply looks like it flouts a maxim on the surface, forcing a reinterpretation that restores cooperation.
- Pick any reply B could give to A's question.
- Press Show implicature to see the literal meaning versus what a listener actually infers, and which maxim is in play.
- Switch scenarios to see Grice's classic examples: quantity flouting ("some" implies "not all"), quality irony, relevance non-sequiturs, and manner ambiguity.