posted
I've always maintained that a hundred monkeys, banging on a hundred typewriters, could easily churn out an issue of "Willamette Week" (local alternative-news rag that tries to pass as serious journalism). Maybe Willamette Week has a staff of really evil vampire robot monkeys. That would explain a lot.
Posts: 2026 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
oh, and hey, did you see the news report a while ago? Someone tried to explore the "infinite number of monkeys typing" thing so they gave a bunch of monkeys computers.
All they did was bang on them with their fists and throw feces at them. They never did learn to type.
posted
Oh, and back to the original post. "Don't nobody go no where." is a triple negative, which makes it mean exactly what it sounds like it means. Works in many situations. Although I really like this sentence by former NBA great Karl Malone (on why fellow basketball player Larry Johnson got a huge contract one year): "What have Larry Johnson ever did that Karl Malone have not did?"
One thing about this kind of word choice is that it defines the character who's saying it.
[This message has been edited by Smaug (edited May 01, 2006).]
[This message has been edited by Smaug (edited May 01, 2006).]
posted
It reminds me of Tombstone, where Doc Holliday and Turkey Creek walk in on a Cowboy having sex with two women and Turkey Creek Says "Nobody move!" And Doc says "By all means, move."
Posts: 341 | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
I have recently been on a kick with the phrase "You just don't pay me no nevermind." (which is usually followed by "Go on about your own business" or "I'll be doing my own thing") or "No one never pays me no nevermind anyway."
Posts: 233 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Sometimes I like to add something to the original phrase. Like so: "Don't nobody go nowhere, no how."
Posts: 440 | Registered: Aug 2005
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Willamette Week! Ah...how fondly I remember perusing the theater section. A friend of mine sends our care packages wrapped in Willamette Week, so I can catch up with what's happening at home.
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@Kolona: I remember "'Kaboom!' went the coastal monkey factory. And the see was full of angry monkeys." But I can't for the life of me remember where it's from?
Posts: 1 | Registered: May 2006
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posted
Prohibiting double and triple negatives are regarded by linguists as being the same level of pedantry as the rule on dangling prepositions. So it's fine for dialogue, though it will have the effect of "ain't" and "drinkin'".
"ah'm a-goin' to the flea market to get me a new bathtub. That one in the yard's all full up of motorcylce parts."
posted
The real question is whether the multiple negatives count as reinforcing or negating each other. Of course, if you use an odd number of negatives it doesn't matter, which might be why the triple negative is so popular compared to the double negative.
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