Has the word “cannot” always been acceptable English? I see on the Merriam-Webster site that it has been around for a long time, but when I was learning grammar I don’t remember being told that it was an option.
I have no idea where I learned this (and it may be just something I made up) but I usually use cannot unless I really want to emphasize something (ie You can NOT stick that thing in my ass!)
Why type out ‘cannot’ when you can just type ‘can’t’?
“Cannot” or “can not” has more force to it than the casual “can’t”. “You cannot stick that thing in my ass” packs more of a verbal punch than, “You can’t stick that thing in my ass”. Maybe it’s the extra syllable.
Can TOO!
“You can NOT stick that thing in my ass”, sounds more like “I will not let you stick that thing in my ass.”
Whereas, “You can’t stick that thing in my ass”, sounds more like “I bet you can’t stick that thing in my ass.”
Therein lies the confusion during so many of my dates.
[sub]My $.02 about ass stickin and cannots.[/sub]
Cited under “can v.[sup]1[/sup] irreg.”
You should be checking the O.E.D. first for all date questions. That’s what it’s for.
Not all of us have at any point had enough disposable income for a multi-volume dictionary or a subscription to the online version. As far as I can tell, it costs $550 for an annual subscription. Not the sort of cash I plan on shelling out any time soon just to see how old words are.
So in other words, you cannot afford it.
It looks to me as though he can NOT afford it.
I’m pretty sure he can’t afford it.
Maybe she just knows where the library is.
I found a reasonable substitute at amazon.com :
Oxford American Desk Dictionary
by Frank R. Abate(Editor) (Hardcover)
Our Price: $12.95
Isn’t American a lot like English? 