Data from audio- and video-recorded Mandarin conversations, show that debated remembrance in the form of dispute, increase, revision, change, etc. is oft exhibited to serve social interaction. The types of discussed memory cover: controversy concerning a prior experience; selective (or inconsistent) remembering by the same speaker; adults debating and dwelling upon memory on behalf of children; and mother–children memory debates on children's prior conducts. These data contribute to the linguistically and socio-culturally varied set of forms and functions of negative epistemic expressions.