[Idiom] Saying

[Sepis]

Hello,

I'm asking about a saying although I put "idiom" as a prefix.
How is the answer "Are you kidding?" interpreted?

For example, if someone is asked "Do you like coffee?" and they answer "Are you kidding?", what do they mean?
Do they mean "Are you kidding? Of course I like coffee." or do they mean "Are you kidding? Of course I don't like coffee?".
I had this Magic Eight Ball and one of the answers was just "Are you kidding?". I couldn't tell if the answer was for or against my question.. =]

 

[GoesStation]

The Magic Eight Ball is being intentionally ambiguous. Both of your interpretations are possible. In conversation, people usually add an explanatory tag, as you did. "Are you kidding?" is an introductory phrase to add emphasis to the next thing the speaker says.

 

[emsr2d2]

It could mean either in the coffee context - it suggests that the person who asked the question already knows the answer. The Magic Eight Ball is designed (I use that term very loosely) to answer questions like "Should I marry Bill?" or "Should I change jobs?" If I got "Are you kidding?", I would assume it meant "No" but it could be taken to mean "Yes!" too.