# What are "I'm not a \_\_\_\_ but all \_\_\_\_ are" statements? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 3, 2006, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-im-not-a-____-but-all-____-are-statements/367261 "2006-08-03T23:24:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-im-not-a-____-but-all-____-are-statements/367261/1 "2006-08-03T23:24:01Z")
**you with the face** mentioned this in another thread: [QUOTE=you with the face] Any time I hear a comment prefaced with a certain type of disclaimer, my spidey sense tells me to that whatever perceptions the disclaimer is intended to ward against are more than likely true. – I’m not a racist/woman-hater/homophobe/anti-Semite, but… – No offense, but… You get the idea. [/QUOTE] Is there a name for this kind of statement? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-im-not-a-____-but-all-____-are-statements/367261/2 "2006-08-04T02:58:14Z")
I have no idea what the answer to the question is, but I think your example and the quoted one, are a bit different. In the quoted example all it says is “I’m not a racist/women-hater, but…” Leaving it open for something like “I’m not sexist, but that girl is dumb as a brick” On the other hand your example says "I’m not a \_\_\_\_ but **all** \_\_\_\_\_ **are** … which narrows the field down to something such as “I’m not sexist, but all girls are dumb.” Which makes it more likely that the speaker is whatever their about to claim their not, or at least closer to it then they think they are. I know that’s most likely irrelevent, at least to this specific OP, but I’d thought I’d mention it. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-im-not-a-____-but-all-____-are-statements/367261/3 "2006-08-04T04:57:44Z")
Grr! Curse you for your accuracy! :mad: 🙂 Then…answer what I meant, not what I said. Does that make sense or should I just scrap the whole thing? ---
**Author:** ![Zahava424](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/76d3ee/32.png) [@Zahava424](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zahava424)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-im-not-a-____-but-all-____-are-statements/367261/4 "2006-08-04T06:18:04Z")
Well, I’d call that kind of statement “hypocrisy.” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-im-not-a-____-but-all-____-are-statements/367261/5 "2006-08-04T06:33:16Z")
It can be hilarious when used ironically. “I’m not a man prone to swearing but _Jesus titty-fucking Christ that shit is cold!_” ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-im-not-a-____-but-all-____-are-statements/367261/6 "2006-08-04T10:42:50Z")
To quote Mike from _The Young Ones_" “I don’t like to say anything negative, but No.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-im-not-a-____-but-all-____-are-statements/367261/7 "2006-08-04T13:28:29Z")
Let’s coin a phrase: hypocritical qualifier?