Those pesky negatives (revisited)

[Alice Faber]

I thought Larry was focussing on what it took to interpret "they've
never ceased to not let us down" as words of praise.

Alice

Dennis R. Preston said:
>>larry,
>
>
>I have the sneaking suspicion that some not familiar with the sense
>of "negative" you use here may have trouble finding three; I offer
>the following translation:
>
>They've NOT ever NOT continued to NOT live up to our expectations.
>
>Is that right?
>
>dInIs
>
>
>
>>3 negatives = 1 positive?
>>
>>larry
>>=================
>>
>>The New York Times
>>August 10, 2004, D3
>>HEADLINE: Showalter Builds Another Team Into a Contender
>>by JACK CURRY
>>
>>   Buck Showalter is doing it again. He is breathing and he is building
>>a contending baseball team, so he has his priorities covered. He can
>>keep them covered by constructing and cajoling the Texas Rangers, and
>>trying to go to a World Series, someplace he has never been.
>>
>>   The Rangers are already in a rarefied place, where they were not
>>supposed to be: they are challenging for first place in the American
>>League West and for the wild card. After the Rangers unloaded Alex
>>Rodriguez to the Yankees for Alfonso Soriano in an embarrassing
>>salary dump, they were expected to crawl to a fourth straight
>>last-place finish. No A-Rod? No way.
>>
>>   But the Rangers have performed like a revived team, a team that
>>Showalter said was looser, a team that is not centered on one special
>>player. Rodriguez has left. But Showalter, whom Rodriguez has called
>>a former manager but not a friend, has not. There are no power
>>struggles this season. Showalter's all-consuming style has the
>>Rangers winning and dreaming.
>>
>>   ''We have a thing with the coaching staff where we say, 'Let's go
>>out and see what the boys have in store for us tonight,''' said the
>>48-year-old Showalter, who is in his second season with the team.
>>''They've never ceased to let us down.''
>
>
>--
>Dennis R. Preston
>University Distinguished Professor
>Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic,
>        Asian and African Languages
>Wells Hall A-740
>Michigan State University
>East Lansing, MI 48824-1027 USA
>Office: (517) 353-0740
>Fax: (517) 432-2736

--
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Alice Faber                                             faber at haskins.yale.edu
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