This study discusses how the Persian language allows speakers to deny an undesired interpretation, to extrapolate formulaic disclaimer patterns that tend to reappear, and to account for the set of functions realized by these expressions. In contrast to the long-sustained idea that disclaimers are forthcoming elucidations used before possibly troublesome actions, the examined 20-h corpus of everyday conversations disclosed some cases of retrospective disclaimers. Moreover, the inquiry of both retrospective (RD) and prospective (PD) disclaimers divulged certain pragmatic functions. The three most repeated functions performed by both (PD) and (RD) are respectively ‘clarifying negative interpretation’, ‘displaying provisionality’ and ‘displaying pudency’.