This is what my wife said to me this morning: "But we can't not go" meaning (more or less) 'we have to go' I had just been thinking of Larry's list of examples including: You can not go to the party. (it's up to you) You {cannot/can't} go to the party. (sorry about that) I don't think anyone could say *But we cannot not go." Dale Coye Wilton, NH