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From: rehmi@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Re: Double negatives, and Russian
Message-ID: <1738@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Aug-83 10:13:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.1738
Posted: Thu Aug 11 10:13:56 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Aug-83 17:43:54 EDT
References: <489@utastro.UUCP> <435@sbcs.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 19

From: debray@sbcs.UUCP

In fact, double negation does have its place, because English does not
follow simple binary logic: thus, "not bad" is not *strictly* equivalent
to "good" (if it were, the speaker would have *said* "good"), but means
something like "neither bad nor good, but so-so". The double negation
can be used to convey more information in this way.

/* ------------------------------------- */

"not bad" is often used in British as an idiom for 'good' or even
'quite good'. Not only in British either - I know many people here who
use it too.
					-Rehmi-
-- 
	By the fork, spoon, and exec of The Basfour.

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