Meaning of "taking things literally"

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When I went the first time to be assessed for Asperger's, one of the tests I was given was one the doctor had devised himself, in which he asked the meaning of a bunch of idioms, such as "Pulling your leg" (joking) or "Drive hammered, get nailed" (drive drunk, get arrested). I knew all of them of course, being in my 40s at the time and having read a lot and listened to a lot of people with all kinds of different sayings. Also I don't really recall ever having a problem with taking those kinds of sayings literally.

But couldn't taking things literally also mean not being sure if someone was joking or not? I sometimes have a problem with this, especially if someone keeps a straight face when they say something, and the thing they said sounds plausible. There is a former co-worker from my last job that I remember having this problem with, and also a current co-worker where I work now. And my former boss where I'm working now even said I took things literally, meaning I thought someone wasn't joking when they were. (She had told me to tell a client to "cut the crap", then she said "But don't say it in those words. I know how you take things literally" and I remember being really upset by that.

This is an AS trait too, isn't it?

I used to always have a hard time knowing when someone was joking.

Thanks to the efforts of Jon Stewart, I no longer have a problem with idiomatic expressions...

I've had people say things with a perfectly straight face, and then get highly amused when I took it seriously. They always exclaim, "But I was joking!" They are always so amazed that I couldn't tell, which made me a perfect set up for practical jokers. l

Adult adaption to NT society and methods of communication often distort the diagnosis of AS.

I had never heard the Get Hammered, get Nailed. I would have suggested it meant... if you get drunk, you'll get sex. Probably warning girls off consuming too much alcohol.

As for adults taking things literally, it's probably best indicated by the fact you have to remember your learned association consciously and then unmix the different meanings based on context, then reassemble the translation, and then get the meaning. THAT is taking things literally. For a child that has not learned those different meanings, or the nuances of language. They are more likely to think that someone would get hit with a hammer, and then get nailed to something.

My Damo is a PRO at taking things litterally I have to be very very careful I don't upset him at times.
I have joked that I was going to Australia and he got worried about teatime (dinner) and who was going to put him into bed.
Sometimes I forget about it and then have to clarify what I have said to him

I don't take things literally. In fact, I know the meanings of all of the common idioms and their histories. Many idioms do, in fact, have a literal historical basis. However, I get irritated with people who cannot be serious even for a moment, who rely on jokes in order to irritate people. There are people who have literally no clue that they aren't kidding. They say, "Just kidding," and follow it with a stupid laugh.

People can't tell when I'm joking either so i get my little revenge that way. also i tend to understand the turns of phrase people use as analogies and when i stick with the analogy the get confused. they shouldn't use a phrase if they don't know what it means. sorry can't think of an example at the moment

I usually don't have a problem telling if someone is joking or not. My problem is, I don't know how to respond to someone telling a joke. I guess laughing would be the most logical response, but then what? Also, I feel it's hard for others to tell when I am joking.

Well, when people make certain expressions, I know I shouldn't take it literally, but I do delay in responding which prompts a "You don't get it?"

I'm trying to figure it out, give me time!

I have this problem at times, but I'm getting much better at it. Now that I'm expecting to misinterpret humor and context, I analyze it more before I react..

I run into the opposite problem all the time, though. A lot of NTs can't tell that I'm joking because I deliver a lot of one-liners completely deadpan. It doesn't matter how ridiculous the context is, they won't laugh until I start a smile. In the meantime there's an awkward "is he joking?" silence. Once they know that I do this, they think I'm hilarious... I watch NTs make deadpan jokes without a problem.. Either there's something extra I'm missing or my sense of humor is just that different.