Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rtech.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!decwrl!nsc!amdahl!rtech!jeff From: jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman) Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: Re: Is English decaying rapidly? Message-ID: <714@rtech.UUCP> Date: Fri, 25-Oct-85 05:41:06 EDT Article-I.D.: rtech.714 Posted: Fri Oct 25 05:41:06 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 26-Oct-85 19:47:59 EDT References: <1427@cae780.UUCP> <10600197@uiucdcs> Organization: Relational Technology, Alameda CA Lines: 18 > > > You have mentioned one of my pet peeves from anti-Englishists. My > > really favorite, though is, "Let's see if we can't [do whatever]". Here the > > clear intent is to say, "Let's see if we CAN" do it... > > I don't like that one either. It's almost as bad as "That'll teach you to > [insert something that shouldn't have been done]". It should be: > "That'll teach you not to ..." > > Ken Kaufman (uiucdcs!kaufman) In both these cases, the intent is ironic. -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) "Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent..." {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff