the first step in debating

i never was on a debate team, but i had friends who were.  and i learned from one of these gifted argumentative friends that the first thing to be done before the actual debate begins is to define your terms. 
in social issues you can see how this comes into play.  look at the battle over reproductive rights.  the debate often cannot even begin because one side will define the term "life" as beginning at conception.  the other side will define "life" as beginning at birth. 
and on another issue i have been in debates with other catholics about whether our not yoga is ok. 
i kept running into a wall in the debate until i realized we were debating about a term we hadn't yet defined.  my definition of yoga is a series of physically demanding poses and stretches that leave me feeling strong yet relaxed, refreshed, and balanced.   the other party's definition involved meditation, mantra changing, "ohm"ing, channeling, and God knows what else.  i stay away from the new agey "traditional" yoga.  instead i opt for the americanized "purely for physical betterment" form of yoga.  indeed, the two are so vastly different they should also have different names to reflect this.
but today i had to laugh about the lack of defined terms within my own house. 
i tell henry, clean your ten minute tidy (all of the kids have areas of the house that they are in charge of- his is the table area)  oh, and please vacuum.
so he is done, so he says.  i have to check on it before he goes on to fun event xyz.    dirt is all over the floor. 
"i told you to vacuum.  that floor is most certainly NOT vacuumed."
"yes it IS."
"do it again then."
"ugh."
.............
"ok, now i am done."
"you didn't vacuum."
"yes.  i did.  didn't you hear me?  the vacuum was on. i ran it over the carpet...."

aha, i say to myself.  we don't agree on definitions! 

so i changed my wording.

"ok, with the vacuum plugged in, and the power on, run the vacuum over the carpet until no dirt remains.  please move the table and chairs so you can reach certain areas easier."
no confusion.