Communication Mismatch: Why do some people miss communicate so much?

An example. W and I watching a program about tribal customs on a Pacific Island. When a love one dies, the living person cuts off part of his own finger. Example, If my W died I would cut off part of my little finger.

My W was watching and asked me what do they do with the cut off part of the finger? She was sure the dead persons finger was cut off and the living relatives saved the dead persons finger.

I tried to explain what really happend and W got it on my 4th attempt to explain the finger cutting was done by the living on the living person.

The main point of my post is not to explain tribal customs, but vent my frustrations with having to explain some things so many times when talking with my W. Do people in a R grow so far apart that each speaks a different type of English that the other gets a completly different meaning, or is it the resentment or lack of caring that takes over?

Here is a typical example of two people talking about the same event but questions are not answered, and it seems two subjects being discussed.
W to H. the printer does not work.
Me. does not turn on, does not feed paper, no ink comes out of the print head, what part does not work?
W. It's broke.
Me. what does it do, what were ou trying to do?
W. You know that birthday party where uncle X dropped the cake and aunt B kind of put the cake back together, I was trying to print those pictures and I could not get the printer to work.
W. I can't get the printer to work.
Me. does it turn on.
W. I guess it does.
(frustration sets in, lots of talk so far but no steps taken to solve the problem)
Me. How about showing me what you are doing so I can see what does or does not happen.

I got information about the birthday I did not want but no information about what print functions took place and where the print process diveated from normal. I used the printer event just to demonstrate how R and other talks go. I can handel the real printer situations but have trouble when it is a real R issue.

Any Ideas out there? Sometimes I feel I have to define the word "IS" when I talk with W.

OG Lou, no energy left after explaining what "IS" means. I get crabby and would rather be pleasant and productive.