Dialects & Accents (Was Re: Subject-Verb agreement with compound subjects)

[marion11111]

> Potioncat: 
> > English isn't logical. After all, a fat chance and a slim chance are 
> > the same thing.
> 
> Geoff:
> Depends on your metabolism.
> 
> With me, it's a slim chance - much to my wife's annoyance.
> :-)
>

Hmmm - my chances all seem to be fat.

Speaking of confusing meanings - does anyone else remember when signs read 
"Inflammable?'  Many have changed to say "Flammable" because people thought that 
inflammable meant fireproof.

And clinics no longer send out letters telling you your test results are negative because 
people were having panic fits.  Now the letter says "your test results are entirely normal."

And up here in the north woods, double and triple negatives are just as common as down 
south.  The following is a typical classroom exchange - I've had this one myself.

Small child: Nah, I don't want none.

Teacher (correcting gently): No, I don't want any.

Small child (surprised):  Oh, don't you want none neither?