Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site sunybcs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!sunybcs!colonel
From: colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: English decaying
Message-ID: <2631@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Dec-85 15:32:33 EST
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.2631
Posted: Wed Dec 18 15:32:33 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Dec-85 05:33:45 EST
References: <10600197@uiucdcs> <> <857@nmtvax.UUCP>
Organization: Travelers' Advisory
Lines: 21

> >> > You have mentioned one of my pet peeves from anti-Englishists. My
> >> > really favorite, though is, "Let's see if we can't [do whatever]". Here the
> >> > clear intent is to say, "Let's see if we CAN" do it...
> 
>      Actually, I use both depending on what I mean.
> 
> If the concept is sound, I will usually say "let's see if we can do it" which
> to me is similar to "Let's see if we succede".  In other words, an optimist's
> point of view.
> If the concept is unsound, even crazy or foolish but might.....just might work
> out, then I will use "Let's see if we can't do it" which, in this case, would
> be similar to "Let's see if we fail (we probably will but let's try anyway)."
> In other words, a pessimist's point of view.

If the original poster cared about English, he'd say, "let's see
WHETHER we can do it."
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel
CS: colonel@buffalo-cs
BI: csdsicher@sunyabva