# I wish I couldn't say I'm not unhappy... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 1, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736 "2005-07-01T18:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/1 "2005-07-01T18:10:06Z")
I just sent an email to a coworker giving them some information about a new client we just picked up. I got this response back: > [@Cow Orker](#): > > I wish I couldn’t say I’m not unhappy about this. It took me what seemed like a minute to mentally reduce this. 1. I wish I couldn’t say I’m {not unhappy} about this. 2. I wish I {couldn’t say I’m happy} about this. 3. I wish I {could say} I’m unhappy about this. 4. {I wish I was unhappy} about this. 5. I’m happy about this, but I shouldn’t be. What is that, a quadruple negative? I’d like to know how they even knew what they were writing. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/2 "2005-07-01T18:20:10Z")
I wouldn’t get not so very non-upset about it. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/3 "2005-07-01T18:24:26Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I wouldn’t get not so very non-upset about it. Me neither. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/4 "2005-07-01T18:31:51Z")
I for one don’t disagree that with the falsehood of the notion that this shouldn’t be moved to another forum. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/5 "2005-07-01T18:53:23Z")
All this really isn’t making my head start to not hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/6 "2005-07-01T19:58:48Z")
I don’t wish I couldn’t not say that I hadn’t noticed this thread in the first place so I couldn’t have to not say that I hadn’t not noticed … uhhhhh … brain shut down commencing … ---
**Author:** ![Pythian\_Habenero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Pythian\_Habenero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythian_Habenero)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/7 "2005-07-01T20:07:21Z")
I aspire to want to be able to truthfully say I’m less than not particularly unconfused by that. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/8 "2005-07-01T20:11:15Z")
What? You don’t not have a problem understanding this? I don’t. Which is not to say I don’t not have a problem understanding this, but rather I don’t not not have a problem understanding this. I don’t hope this doesn’t help explain. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/9 "2005-07-01T21:25:02Z")
If this writer isn’t especially good at math, it’s a tossup whether they even stopped on the correct side anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/10 "2005-07-02T00:57:26Z")
Were I you, I’d drop them a reply along the lines of “Glad to hear it.” ---
**Author:** ![cabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabdude)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/11 "2005-07-02T01:01:40Z")
> [@Tracy Lord](#): > > Were I you, I’d drop them a reply along the lines of “Glad to hear it.” I couldn’t be sure if that’s not such a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/12 "2005-07-02T01:11:03Z")
[Do you don’t not dislike not Strong Bad?](http://homestarrunner.com/sbemail59.html) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/13 "2005-07-02T04:28:49Z")
_brain explodes_ Ow. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/14 "2005-07-02T04:45:03Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > What is that, a quadruple negative? No, no, no, no! > [@](#): > > I’d like to know how they even knew what they were writing. Wouldn’t you not dislike it if no one couldn’t explain what the writer didn’t intend not to obfuscate? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/15 "2005-07-02T04:53:14Z")
[sub](hiding in a corner, arms over head) wimper… please stop now… forever… wimper… owwww[/sub] where the heck is the smilie for tears?[sub] owwie[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/16 "2005-07-02T04:53:35Z")
I think you should forget this never happened. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/17 "2005-07-06T23:58:12Z")
Every time you speak a quadruple negative it makes an english teacher cry. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/18 "2005-07-07T03:50:36Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Every time you speak a quadruple negative it makes an english teacher cry. Somewhere, there is an english-language demon getting his wings and horns, and is ready to possess the next student or cow-orker. I’m not sure this isn’t going to happen nowhere in time. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/19 "2005-07-07T04:59:56Z")
That is undoubtedly not one of the least benightedly unintelligent specimens of obfuscatory non-communication it has ever been my distinct displeasure never to have been able to avoid encountering. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/20 "2005-07-07T09:51:22Z")
…picked a hell of a time to give up grammar… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736.md?page=2)