Yes, I was suggesting that you, your book, or whatever, is mistaken. It’s not a double-negative. It’s just two words with negative word charges. They do not contradict one another’s meaning in the binary relationship of true and false.

My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 120d

No truer words weren't never spoken.

baldingpudenda@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 120d (1 reply)

I understand the English council has made a decision. But given that it's a stupid ass decision, I've elected to ignore it.

You are correct, but it reads double negative to me, lol

PlantJam@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 120d

It's even more fun when you get appeals involved.

neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 120d (6 replies)

How would you word this different and have the same meaning?

Using “approves” is close but it changes the meaning of the headline and implies that their approval of this is needed when it is not.

BremboTheFourth@piefed.ca · -3 pts · 120d (5 replies)

"allows"

neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 120d (1 reply)

That means something different. Like I said, that implies that we need the courts permission which is not the case.

I can tell you are not going to let this go, but it will help you in life to understand when you are wrong and be ok admitting that to yourself.

BremboTheFourth@piefed.ca · -2 pts · 120d

Wow no need to be an asshole. Whatever, guess I forgot nothing a court ruled has ever had weight my bad

howrar@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 119d (2 replies)

"Local man allows wife to eat dinner."

"Local man declines to block wife from eating dinner."

The meaning is very different.

BremboTheFourth@piefed.ca · 1 pts · 119d (1 reply)

Yeah, when you change the context of the sentence, the meaning changes too. "A court allows" and "a man allows" aren't the same thing.

The court had an issue brought before it. It could either allow or disallow the usage of the maps. There isn't an in-between. Making a big deal over using "allow" for a court is so mind-numbingly, insufferably pedantic that I can't believe real people are actually up voting it.

"Approves" I can see a problem with because it implies that the court has made a final ruling. But being mad about it because of some moralizing nonsense is absolutely ridiculous.

howrar@lemmy.ca · 0 pts · 118d

These kinds of small wording differences are one of the most common ways for news outlets to intentionally spread misinformation. If you already know what the current laws are, you'll know what actually happened. Otherwise, "declines to block" tells you that there exists pressure to prevent something that is currently allowed. "Allows" tells you that it wasn't previously allowed without their approval and they granted that approval.

It could either allow or disallow [...]. There isn't an in-between.

So in summary, there are exactly four "in-between"s.

It was previously allowed, and it is still allowed
It was previously allowed, and it is now not allowed
It was previously not allowed, and it is now allowed
It was previously not allowed, and it still not allowed

Which would map to each of the following respectively

"declines to block"
"blocks"
"allows"
"declines to allow"

What you're saying is that it should map to

"allows"
"blocks"
"allows"
"blocks"

Which, besides being inconsistent with how those words are used in every day English, also reduces how much information you receive.

turdburglar@piefed.social · 2 pts · 120d

yeah i’m reading the same edition as you. i even got mine signed by the reverend dr. pedant

sidelove@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 120d

OH, damn, I came in here all angry haha

FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 120d (3 replies)

Fewer

SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 120d

I told you not to call me that in public.

imahappyguy@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 120d (1 reply)

This bothers me as well. Fewer is for quantities. Less is for unquantifiable things. E.g. I need less water and fewer sprinklers for my garden.

edit: expanding on this, you can always think about it like, I don't have five waters (unless you're in a restaurant?), but I can have five sprinklers.

kmartburrito@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 119d

The easiest way is to ask yourself if it can be counted. Water can't be counted, but bottles of water can, as can sprinklers, to your point. "Can I count it?" Just makes it more simple to approach.