[Dixielandjazz] Double negatives

[Bill Gunter]

Hi all,

You know how I hate to be pedantic, but Rev Logsdon posted the following:

>I'm reminded of a joke I will try to recall correctly enough to be funny:
>
>A linguistics professor was lecturing to his class on the use of negatives 
>and positives, saying: "There are some languages, as in English, where two 
>negatives make a positive, . . . "

This is not true.  Math is the discipline wherein two negatives make a 
positive. Language, on the other hand, is not subject to the protocols of 
arithmetic.

Often double negatives are used as intensifiers!

Examples:

We don't need no stinkin' badges!

He don't have nothin' to do.

. . . and so on.


Now I will grant you that these examples are what might be termed 
"substandard" but in no way do they equate into positives!

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "No! No! - not another double negative!" Gunter

jazzboard at hotmail.com

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