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Infinik Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

no fool vs. not fool

Hi,

When people say:

He's no fool.

Does it mean "he is smart" but not "he is not a fool"?

Likewise, the following means "this is serious" but not "this is not a joke".

This is no joke.

Thanks for clarification,

i
  

Top answer

They mean both, but the implication is primarily that he is smart and it is serious.

  • They mean both, but the implication is primarily that he is smart and it is serious.
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2 Answers
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They mean both, but the implication is primarily that he is smart and it is serious.
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He's no fool

It doesn't necessarily mean their smart it just means they aren't stupid.

This is serious

Its used to convey the severity of a matter. So it could be used to get someone to stop laughing cause they think your telling a joke or it could be used to grab someone's attention who was kinda bored, not interested, or just not paying attention.

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