# How to say it in English

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-it-in-english/652146>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 6, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-it-in-english/652146 "2013-03-06T02:52:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-it-in-english/652146/21 "2013-04-09T13:29:21Z")

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I would say “We are being denied our right(s)”. But better yet, as someone mentioned above, be explicit about which right(s) you are talking about.

Just because you can “fight for” rights doesn’t mean you’ll actually get them.

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-it-in-english/652146/22 "2013-04-09T15:41:31Z")

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> [@Giles](#):
>
> “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” was originally a song performed by Jennifer Lopez. It’s not the first time that colloquial language has been used in a popular song title, e.g, “Can’t Buy Me Love” should be “I can’t buy myself love” – but it wouldn’t fit the music, or sound so dramatic.

What’s ungrammatical or nonstandard about “I don’t care too much for money; money can’t buy me love”?

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**Author:** ![Deegeea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Deegeea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deegeea)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-say-it-in-english/652146/23 "2013-04-09T17:52:22Z")

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This Ain’t California [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2113090/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2113090/)

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints [Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2388637/)

My Name Ain’t Johnny [Meu Nome Não é Johnny (2008) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092016/)

Big Ain’t Bad [Big Ain't Bad (2002) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289864/)

Sun Don’t Shine [Sun Don't Shine (2012) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2023714/)

Ball Don’t Lie [Ball Don't Lie (2008) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0906727/)

Mockingbird Don’t Sing [Mockingbird Don't Sing (2001) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0273822/)

If It Don’t Fit, Use a Bigger Hammer [Was nicht passt, wird passend gemacht (2002) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278815/)

My guess is that this phrasing (using ain’t or a singular-present tense-don’t) is more of a dialect than an error, and therefore it’s considered evocative rather than awkward to use in titles.

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