# but (0-but.org)

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.

## What a model may hear
- 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

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "I want this but cheaper"
  Means: Find a lower-priced alternative
  May be taken as: Interpret as a bitwise operation on price values or filter out all results
  Say instead: "Show me less expensive alternatives to this"
- Says: "Keep all but the last one"
  Means: Exclude only the final item
  May be taken as: Apply an XOR operation that keeps unexpected elements or drops the wrong ones
  Say instead: "Include everything except the last item"
- Says: "Not that but this"
  Means: Replace the previous choice with a new one
  May be taken as: Attempt a logical negation combined with an XOR rather than a simple substitution
  Say instead: "Use this instead of that"

## Tips
- Avoid 'but' when giving direct instructions; use 'instead' or 'except'
- Phrase exclusions as 'everything except' rather than 'all but'
- State replacements as 'use X, not Y' rather than 'not Y but X'
- When contrasting options, list them separately rather than joining with 'but'
- If you must use 'but', put the preferred choice first and label it clearly

## Often 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