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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
"a not unintelligent man"?
Dear all,
What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"? I know it is not prescriptively approved, but is it normal in actual speech? I would appreciate as many as native speakers' replies as possible and please reveal the variety of English you speak before providing your valuable opinions.
Also, what about the construction "a not intelligent man"? Is this form as commonly accepted by native speakers as "a not unintelligent man"?
Thank you very much.
Ray
What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"? I know it is not prescriptively approved, but is it normal in actual speech? I would appreciate as many as native speakers' replies as possible and please reveal the variety of English you speak before providing your valuable opinions.
Also, what about the construction "a not intelligent man"? Is this form as commonly accepted by native speakers as "a not unintelligent man"?
Thank you very much.
Ray
Top answer
[/nq] It is not something I'd like to hear someone say abou me. [nq:1]I know it is not prescriptively approved,[/nq] Nonsense. Perhaps a prescriptivist would tell you that it is not a polite way of telling someone that he is "not stupid", because there is no affirmation of the person's intelligence, just a negation of the person's stuidity, but I know of no proscription against this construction.
- [/nq] It is not something I'd like to hear someone say abou me.
- [nq:1]I know it is not prescriptively approved,[/nq] Nonsense.
- Perhaps a prescriptivist would tell you that it is not a polite way of telling someone that he is "not stupid", because there is no affirmation of the person's intelligence, just a negation of the person's stuidity, but I know of no proscription against this construction.
- it's not polite.
- It's not a compliment.
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44 Answers
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(Email Removed) (Raymond) wrote on 27 Feb 2004:
[nq:1]Dear all, What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"?[/nq]
It is not something I'd like to hear someone say abou me.
[nq:1]I know it is not prescriptively approved,[/nq]
Nonsense. Perhaps a prescriptivist would tell you that it is not a polite way of telling someone that he is "not stupid", because there is
[nq:1]Dear all, What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"?[/nq]
It is not something I'd like to hear someone say abou me.
[nq:1]I know it is not prescriptively approved,[/nq]
Nonsense. Perhaps a prescriptivist would tell you that it is not a polite way of telling someone that he is "not stupid", because there is
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[nq:1]Dear all, What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"? I know it is not prescriptively approved, ... as native speakers' replies as possible and please reveal the variety of English you speak before providing your valuable opinions.[/nq]
I would consider it normal if applied correctly. "Not unintelligent" has the meaning "not without intelligence". It's faint praise t
I would consider it normal if applied correctly. "Not unintelligent" has the meaning "not without intelligence". It's faint praise t
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[nq:2]What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"?[/nq]
[nq:1]It's not a compliment. it is, at best a "lefthanded compliment", ie a veiled insult.[/nq]
Not necessarily. In English English, it may be an
example of litotes with a strongly affirmative sense. That is, it may be read as "a very intelligent man".
R.
[nq:1]It's not a compliment. it is, at best a "lefthanded compliment", ie a veiled insult.[/nq]
Not necessarily. In English English, it may be an
example of litotes with a strongly affirmative sense. That is, it may be read as "a very intelligent man".
R.
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[nq:1]Dear all, What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"? I know it is not prescriptively approved, ... as native speakers' replies as possible and please reveal the variety of English you speak before providing your valuable opinions.[/nq]
George Orwell, in one of his essays, suggests that people can free themselves from the "not un-" construction by memorising the sent
George Orwell, in one of his essays, suggests that people can free themselves from the "not un-" construction by memorising the sent
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[nq:2]Dear all, What do you think of the construction "a ... variety of English you speak before providing your valuable opinions.[/nq]
[nq:1]George Orwell, in one of his essays, suggests that people can free themselves from the "not un-" construction by memorising ... the not ungreen field". It can be very irritating when overused, but I wouldn't want to rule it out entirely.[/nq]
I heard
[nq:1]George Orwell, in one of his essays, suggests that people can free themselves from the "not un-" construction by memorising ... the not ungreen field". It can be very irritating when overused, but I wouldn't want to rule it out entirely.[/nq]
I heard
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[nq:1]What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"? I know it is not prescriptively approved, but is ... the construction "a not intelligent man"? Is this form as commonly accepted by native speakers as "a not unintelligent man"?[/nq]
"A not unintelligent man" is alright in BrE providing this type of construction is used only in moderate amounts. Lucky Jim (Kingsley Amis) ha
"A not unintelligent man" is alright in BrE providing this type of construction is used only in moderate amounts. Lucky Jim (Kingsley Amis) ha
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Raymond typed thus:
[nq:1]Dear all, What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"? I know it is not prescriptively approved, ... as native speakers' replies as possible and please reveal the variety of English you speak before providing your valuable opinions.[/nq]
I, in my UK English way, use "not un-xx" all the time - I have had to moderate my use when speaking to my Ja
[nq:1]Dear all, What do you think of the construction "a not unintelligent man"? I know it is not prescriptively approved, ... as native speakers' replies as possible and please reveal the variety of English you speak before providing your valuable opinions.[/nq]
I, in my UK English way, use "not un-xx" all the time - I have had to moderate my use when speaking to my Ja
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[nq:1]IMPORTANT NOTE: Chambers Ltd operates a fair and transparent recruitment policy. We do not discriminate on grounds of gender, ... previous criminal record (providing at least ten years has expired since your last conviction for a serious crime) ...[/nq]
There will, once I get out of here. Can I have the job?
Oliver Cromm
There will, once I get out of here. Can I have the job?
Oliver Cromm
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The litotes has had detractors other than George Orwell. The following is from "The Logic of Logical Double Negation" by Laurence R. Horn of Yale University, at
http://www.let.uu.nl/~Henriette.deSwart/personal/Classes/variatieneg/horndn.pdf
(quote)
Despite their differenc
http://www.let.uu.nl/~Henriette.deSwart/personal/Classes/variatieneg/horndn.pdf
(quote)
Despite their differenc
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[nq:1]I, in my UK English way, use "not un-xx" all the time - I have had to moderate my use when speaking to my Japanese colleagues as they find it very difficult to parse.[/nq]
Really? Isn't it the case that Japanese people are not unlikely to not avoid double negations? But the same in a foreign language is still another matter.
[nq:1]I might use "not unintelligent", but it's unlikely as
Really? Isn't it the case that Japanese people are not unlikely to not avoid double negations? But the same in a foreign language is still another matter.
[nq:1]I might use "not unintelligent", but it's unlikely as
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