[lit-ideas] Re: A Snowball's Chance in Hell (Was: Negative Polarity)

  • From: Michael Chase <goya@xxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 03 Sep 2004 11:07:09 -0700

Le 2 sept. 04, =E0 17:59, Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx a =E9crit :

>
>
> In a message dated 9/2/2004 5:56:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> In the  last election, I voted for Nader.  I think Nader is far and =20=

> away
> superior to Bush or Kerry.  But he hasn't got a snowball's chance  in=20=

> hell of
> winning.
>
>
>
> ----
>
> I like that.
>
> It's again, what L. Horn (et al.) call a negative-polarity item.
>
> Note that the positive (affirmative) is just as logical:
>
>      Nader _does_ have a snowball's chance in  hell.
>
> As I was reading the other day in an online source,
>
>     "English must be an illogical language, if "a slim  chance" and "a=20=

> fat
> chance" mean (more or less) the same thing."

There are a couple of expressions that have always bugged me in this=20
regard. To indicate one's complete lack of interest in a state of=20
affairs, one can say both =93=A0I couldn't care less" and "I could care=20=

less", with no apparent difference in meaning. The latter formulation=20
seems grammatically incorrect, for it could be parsed as claiming :=20
=93=A0There are (actual or possible) situations which would elicit =
*less*=20
concern from me than the present one". But that surely implies "My=20
degree of concern for the present is greater than nil". The first=20
formulation, by contrast, seems to convey the more relevant attitude=A0:=20=

" There is *no* (potential or actual" situation which could elicit=20
*less* concern on my part=A0", in other words, "the present situation=20
elicits the absolute minimum degree of concern of which I am capable". =20=

Similarly, one often hears =93=A0I could give a damn/shit" used when the=20=

obvious meaning is in fact "I could/do *not* give a damn/shit".

        I wonder if this phenomenon is related to that of euphemism. A =
Spanish=20
friend of mine, in his mid-twenties, has the habit of designating=20
things of which he approves or by which he is favorably impressed as=20
"Mortal!" and/or "Brutal!" . This amuses my Hispanic friends who are a=20=

generation or so older, so it must be a recent development.

        Best, Mike.

>
Michael Chase
(goya@xxxxxxxxxxx)
CNRS UPR 76
7, rue Guy Moquet
Villejuif 94801
France

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