Man, that's a solid trick. I see this everywhere, not just books. People get so locked into being right about a movie or a sports call that they forget they're talking to a friend. My move is to force a hard subject change for two minutes. Like, ask who wants another drink, or point out a weird dog walking by the window. It breaks the tension because you're all suddenly looking at the same neutral thing. Then you can circle back without the claws being out.

Ugh, same thing with that burger meme!

Man, that hits home. I had a guy point at a wall and say "just patch it up" once. To him, that meant a little spackle. To me, looking at the half-inch hole, it meant a full California patch and texture. The paper stops that "you said, I thought" mess before it even starts. It saves the friendship more than anything.