Another case of negative = positive?

[Wilson Gray]

Okay.

-Wilson

On 1/24/08, Mark Mandel <thnidu at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Mark Mandel <thnidu at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Another case of negative = positive?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Since "whether" implies "or not", I don't see this as neg=pos at all, more
> of choosing to preserve the other pole.
>
> m a m
>
> On Jan 24, 2008 9:08 AM, Scot LaFaive <scotlafaive at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > >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
> > > -----------------------
> > > 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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