Precision in writing

If I were to make a list of great writers, I don't think the first person I'd think of would be Chief Justice John Roberts, but according to this very amusing article about a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, the chief does have a way with words. The plaintiff was trying to claim that a business had a personal right to privacy, much the way an individual does. But the claim is refuted with a wealth of examples of where words can have different meanings in different contexts. How different is a golden cup from a golden opportunity? And how different are crab apples and crab legs?