yeah, no

[W Brewer]

Yes, no bananas
Joel Berson: <<<And he's not even including the Japanese response to a
question posed in the negative. Which I as a non-native don't understand
too.>>>
WB: Anglo-Sinitic interlanguage also features _yes_ (<= Mandarin _dui4_
(correct)), in yes/no questions expecting a _no_ response. To avoid
unending frustration at decoding such a response, DO NOT USE NEGATIVE
QUESTIONS WITH CHINESE. They will always answer _yes_. My half-breed kids
cannot get the negative use of _either_, too.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org