Why have Double Negatives Become Fashionable?

[Brian R.]

It seems like no one can speak about a topic without using a double negative to describe something, specifically using the word "not" and the opposite of the word they really mean. (Did I say that?)

Possibly good examples are "That's not a bad example..." or "She's not an unreasonable person..."

I think these types of statements are used to make the speaker appear thoughtful or intelligent. Sort of a back-handed compliment.

I am beginning to hate double negatives...Even if the speaker does not sound totally ignorant. (Argh!)

[Ribbit]

I use it to sound less than fully positive. For example, I might say something like "xyz isn't a bad piece of hardware", which means "xyz is good, but there is much better to be had."

[Brian R.]

Why not say "xyz is a fairly good (or barely adequate) piece of hardware" ?

[Umfriend]

What ribiit said.

I thought with "Double Negative" you would have meant something like: "That ain't no pyjama"
Umf

[Brian R.]

I called it a double negative only because I didn't have a better descriptor.

[Umfriend]

You didn't have no better descriptor?

[J1NG]

Probably because it implies or infers that everything good about it has been said, but there's more (bad) that can be said.

Where-as if you say "it isn't bad... etc" it implies that there are some better points that can be said (but haven't for whatever reason).

It's also probably got something to do with etiquette, or something like that.

Don't think my "Information Retrieval and Natural Language Processing" module at Uni helped a bit there.

J1NG

[Brian R.]

Umfriend, I can tell you are not without a sense of humor...

[Brian R.]

Originally posted by J1NG
Probably because it implies or infers that everything good about it has been said, but there's more (bad) that can be said.

Where-as if you say "it isn't bad... etc" it implies that there are some better points that can be said (but haven't for whatever reason).

It's also probably got something to do with etiquette, or something like that.

Don't think my "Information Retrieval and Natural Language Processing" module at Uni helped a bit there.

J1NG

I agree, but my opinion is that people should be more precise in their description instead of being vague.

Perhaps it is another manifestation of trying to be politically correct???

[J1NG]

Ah, but how precise can you go?

Words are afterall a persons way of expression and comunication (like that was hard to work out. ). It's use is to convey its message to anyone that listens.

Being slightly vague helps here, since each persons own experiences are unique and different, meaning expressions and words meanings will be different also. Being vague, each individual person that listens will "fill in the gaps" with what they know. Implying or infering something leads a person to more or less the same conclusion, without being precise.

So, we don't have to use exact complex mathematical forumlas to say something that only a few understand.

Boy I really DID learn something in that IRNLP unit.

J1NG

[Brian R.]

BTW, I would agree that using this type of statement is occasionally useful. I mean to say that it is extremely overused.

[J1NG]

It's probably got something to do with modern etiquette then. Any of the sociology people (majors, minors) want to answer?

J1NG

[Gurm]

Well...

It's got to do with politeness.

Let's say that you have a student or pupil.

That pupil is truly terrible at what you teach, but is making progress.

The first time he/she gets it even MARGINALLY right, you say...

"Hmm! Not bad!"

This is a way of praising the person, despite their truly marginal performance.

It would perhaps be more accurate to say "that was barely acceptable", but that sounds like an insult or putdown, when in reality that person is doing well and making great improvements.

This is a contrived example, but it carries over to everything.

Your friend is proud of their hardware acquisition. They have bought an nShitty-Ha GeFart3 for what they feel is an excellent price. You know that they should have bought the cheap Radeon 8500 that you told them about in the bargain bin at Micro Center, but they didn't.

Do you say "that card is ... adequate for your purposes", thereby possibly offending your friend? Or do you say "that card's not bad"?

I vote for the latter.

- Gurm

[GNEP]

The usage is not uncommon here for similar reasons that Gurm outlined, in his not-unreasonable way

[KvHagedorn]

I agree with Brian.. this topic is not unduly non-sequitur.