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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!edward
From: edward@ukecc.UUCP (Edward C. Bennett)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: English decaying
Message-ID: <357@ukecc.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 22-Dec-85 14:26:35 EST
Article-I.D.: ukecc.357
Posted: Sun Dec 22 14:26:35 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Dec-85 04:48:21 EST
References: <10600197@uiucdcs> <> <857@nmtvax.UUCP> <2631@sunybcs.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Ky. Engineering Computing Center
Lines: 28

In article <2631@sunybcs.UUCP>, colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) writes:
>>>>> 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...
>> 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


	This brings to mind people's habit of saying "I could care less
about <whatever>...". What theuy should be saying is "I couldn't care less..."

-- 
Edward C. Bennett

UUCP: ihnp4!cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!edward

/* A charter member of the Scooter bunch */

"Goodnight M.A."