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What about Orwell's double plus ungood? Though I know that's not what he meant. Nobody don't know nuffin, these days.
What is the difference between a 'not impossible she' and a possible she? |
Allen has a point - and, John, there is a world of difference!
Talking In Bed Talking in bed ought to be easiest Lying together there goes back so far An emblem of two people being honest. Yet more and more time passes silently. Outside the wind's incomplete unrest builds and disperses clouds about the sky. And dark towns heap up on the horizon. None of this cares for us. Nothing shows why At this unique distance from isolation It becomes still more difficult to find Words at once true and kind Or not untrue and not unkind. Philip Larkin (my italics, though) |
I think this one, from Chaucer, takes the prize. Four negatives:
He never yet no villainy ne said In all his life unto no manner wight.... |
Good one, Ann.
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How about Ian Dury's Clever Trevor?
just cos I ain’t never ‘ad, no, nothing worth having never ever, never ever you ain’t got no call not to think I wouldn’t fall into thinking that I ain’t too clever and it ain’t not having one thing nor not another niether, either is it anything, whatever and it’s not not knowing that there ain’t nothing showing and I answer to the name of Trevor, however Just cos I ain’t never said, no, nothing worth saying never ever, never ever, never ever things ‘ave got read into what I never said, ‘till me mouth becomes me ‘ead which ain’t not all that clever and it’s not not saying one thing nor not another neither, either is it anything I haven’t said, whatever and it ain’t not proving that me mind ain’t moving and I answer to the name of Trevor, however knock me down with a feather Clever Trevor widebrows wonder whether Clever Trevor’s clever either have they got nor neither haven’t not got no right to make a clot our of Trevor why should I feel bad about something I ain’t ‘ad such stupidness is mad cos nothing underfoot comes to nothing less to add to a load of old toot and I ain’t half not half glad cos there’s nowhere to put it even if I ‘ad i’m a bit of a Jack the Lad knock me down with a feather Clever Trevor widebrows wonder whether Clever Trevor’s clever either have they got nor neither haven’t not got no right to make a clot our of Trevor also, it takes much longer to get up north, the slow way |
Thanks for posting this one, Philip. What a master Dury was at this sort of thing.
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I had no idea people would take this and run with it to this extent.
Of course my favorite example is the classic poem from Enoch Soames' volume "Fungoids": TO A YOUNG WOMAN Thou art, who hast not been! Pale tunes irresolute And traceries of old sounds Blown from a rotted flut Mingle with noise of cymbals rouged with rust, Nor not strange forms and epicene Lie bleeding in the dust, Being wounded with wounds. For this it is That is thy counterpart Of age-long mockeries Thou hast not been nor art! |
There's a typo in L4, Gail - 'flut(e)'
Max comments: As for the craftsmanship, "rouged with rust" seemed to me a fine stroke, and "nor not" instead of "and" had a curious felicity. |
Nice going, Holly. I wondered how many of us knew Enoch before
his unfortunate encounter with the devil. |
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