"Len Budney" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>You are being pedantic, are you not? Yes--and you're mistaken.
I was clearly being pedantic. Next time I'll use a <pedantic> tag.
>This particular use of 'not' is purely idiomatic.
Just because a particular grammatical butchery is in wide use and fits
the definition if "idiom" doesn't mean it's conducive to
communication.
>PS We New Englanders use negatives in other contexts as particles of
>emphasis. For example, if you boast, ``I can build a Linux mail server
>in under an hour,'' I might reply, ``So can't my mother.''
Which most of the English speaking world would interpret as "My mother
can't do that", possibly with an implied "(but just about anyone else
can)". This type of idiom leads to ambiguity, and is a barrier to
communication--its only purpose is to be cute.
-Dave
