Another case of negative = positive?

[Scot LaFaive]

>In the Great White North, I've heard both variants.

In the Lesser White North of WI I've also heard (and said) both, quite
regularly I would say.

Scot



On Jan 23, 2008 9:22 PM, James Harbeck <jharbeck at sympatico.ca> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       James Harbeck <jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA>
> Subject:      Re: Another case of negative = positive?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> >I was chatting with a Texas relative and mentioned to him that he
> >might want to read a particular book. He replied:
> >
> >a) "I'll see whether I _can't_ [keint] find it down here."
> >
> >Of course, he meant:
> >
> >b) "I'll see whether I _can_ [kin] find it down here."
> >
> >Except that that's not how people say it Down Home.
> >
> >-Wilson
>
> In the Great White North, I've heard both variants. Only with the
> Canadian [ae], of course.
>
> James Harbeck.
>
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