# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/21 "2005-07-07T12:34:54Z")
Maybe you should put it into bablefish for a translation? ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/22 "2005-07-07T13:56:06Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > What is that, a quadruple negative? Reminds me of an oldie but a goodie: An English teacher says to her class, “In English a double negative equals a positive. In some languages, though, a double negative is an emphasized negative. However, in no language is a double positive a negative.” A guy in the back retorts, “Yeah, right!” ---
**Author:** ![merrily](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@merrily](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrily)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/23 "2005-07-07T14:35:20Z")
I think it is only a triple negative, which is not unmeaningless. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/24 "2005-07-07T14:42:47Z")
“I wish” “I couldn’t say” [INDENT]“I’m Not unhappy”[/INDENT] Okay, so: “I’m not unhappy” = “I’m happy” “I couldn’t say” I’m happy = I’m unhappy “I wish” I’m unhappy; ergo, she’s happy? Well, one thing is very clear to me: after all this heavy analysis, “happy” just sounds silly, and it’s fun to say. happy happy happy happy hap-hap-happy-hap-hap happy happy. Weasel. ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/25 "2005-07-07T14:54:28Z")
Well, of course I would never use a preposition to end a sentence up with, because it might be difficult to make sense out of, and, after all, what would I want to use a preposition to finish a sentence that you cannot make any sense out of up with for? From _It was a Dark & Stormy Night: The Final Conflict_ I refuse to stop preventing the elimination of deobfuscation… NOT! ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/26 "2005-07-07T15:37:42Z")
To all those Dopers whose first language is not English–I apologize for this thread. Hell, English is my first (and only language) and I’m not real sure what’s being said (or not) in this thread… ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/27 "2005-07-07T15:50:18Z")
Let’s approach it from the front end, shall we? “I wish I couldn’t say” = I can say (with intimations of regret) “I’m not unhappy” = I’m happy. Ergo, “I can say I’m happy”. Confirming our previous results. Happy happy happy weasel weasel happy weasel happy weasel happy weasel weasel happy. Chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/28 "2005-07-07T16:03:51Z")
ARRRRGH! STOP IT ALL OF YOU RIGHT NOW! _runs around screaming like a madwoman_ ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/29 "2005-07-07T16:46:02Z")
And a very merry unbirthday to you all. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/30 "2005-07-07T17:03:47Z")
I’m not unhappy about this thread. Damn! I wish I couldn’t say that! ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/31 "2005-07-07T21:57:50Z")
I refuse to deny that I am not Nott. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/32 "2005-07-07T22:12:43Z")
I wish I couldn’t say that I hadn’t not read the entire thread, but that would be double-plus ungood. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/33 "2005-07-08T01:45:33Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I refuse to deny that I am not Nott. Shouldn’t that be ‘Askn’t’? ---
**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 8, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736/34 "2005-07-08T04:40:33Z")
I don’t wish I couldn’t say I’m not unhappy about this thread, which I am not supposed to be reading because I am not studying for a class, which I’m not unsure that I won’t finish without an A, not if I don’t stop stopping the unfinished work that I am not doing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-couldnt-say-im-not-unhappy/310736.md?page=1)