Heather Barton

I was listening to a song the other day.  The lyrics went, “I won’t do you no harm.” And the writer in me kept correcting questioning his meaning because he used the double negative.    Knowing that two negatives cancel each  other out, according to English Calss, making his meaning.. “I will do you harm.” I could only sigh at the songwriter who chose colloquialism over good grammar.

But my inner bitch mediator complained about why the existence of the double negative is such an issue?  After all you don’t see the use of two positives canceling each  other out. (… can’t… think… of… example…. argh! ah, skip it.)

Then I realized the double negative exists because of Math.  Yes, evil Math… influencing all aspects of our society.  Tormenting parents, students and teachers alike in its struggle to pound its logic into your head.  I realize it’s logic has seeped into the English language.

Now I wrote about some of the insanity of the English language in a previous blog.  Irrigular Verbage So I won’t have to go into this again.  But I didn’t realize at the time the insidious influence of Logical Math.

In English, a double negative cancels itself out. A little bit like two similar functions on either side of an equation do.  Ahh, but is isn’t an equation… its a number “sentence”!  Just like 2 + 3 = 5.

Ok.. so follow this logic into English.  What is -2 + -3?  Why its -5!  So in Math a double negative increases the amount of negative.  This explains so much about why the double negative dilemma even exists.  People are using it to increase the emphasis of what they’re trying to say!

Now who does this the most?  Men.  And who’s good at Math… men.  Need I say more!