Dear Consumerist, you're not as smart as you think you are

[lexica510]

From a recent post on Consumerist:The cameraphone of reader Thomas points us to a classic American slogan that has been bedeviling consumers for decades, "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee." It is shortened on this truck to "Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee." Huh? Isn't that a double negative? Yes, and it was planned

Comments

[dafydd]

*Obligatory snide joke about certain expressions having hyphens.*

;)

[merle_]

Now, as someone whose nickname used to be Little Miss Pedantic Prescriptivist, allow me to point out that there is no error in that slogan.

Not in terms of grammar, but since I do not like Sara Lee their claim remains flawed.

I do recall that "no double negatives" rule from ages ago and thought it was rubbish even as a small child. Do not add so many negatives that you are saying the opposite of what you want to say: that is the only true rule.

(Did you actually have that nickname? So cool...)

[houseboatonstyx]

Exactly right.

Now, how about "Nobody ain't got no problems".

I'd read it the same way: "Everybody got some problems."

[kest]

Yes, I believe the 'incorrect' double negative slang version of the same would be 'Ain't nobody don't like Sara Lee.' I think.