Do double negatives resolve to a positive?
I was recently berated by a friend when I used the term
"irregardless". It was a casual usage and, although I don't use the
word very often, I thought it perfect for the context. The context
was one where I wanted to draw attention to a domain, as a context,
but establish the independence of one instance of that domain, from
that domain. So, with a single word, I can establish both
membership and independence.
Another phrase we use to do things like this is "not unlike". When
you say something is not unlike something else, you are not merely
saying that the former is like the latter. You are not merely
making a comparison. Hence, the double negative "not unlike" does
NOT resolve to the positive "like". You are also not merely making
a weakened contrast. So, it doesn't resolve to "a little bit
unlike". Instead, you are drawing a qualified comparison and
contrast with respect to a specific domain. It's a phrase we only
use when our language is very context sensitive.
I believe we use "irregardless" in the same way. It does NOT merely
resolve to "with regard", as so many pedants claim double negatives
do. And I don't believe it resolves (as they say in the
dictionaries) to "regardless". I think it acts as "not unlike"
acts, and perhaps as "notwithstanding" acts. And I'm sure there are
other examples.
However, I can't help but note the rather intense protestations the
pedants (and pedant wanna-bes) make over the term. Why such
vitriol? Why the rush to pretentious self-righteousness? Now, I'm
the first to admit that there are a few words or usages that are
pet peeves of my own. Nukular (a.k.a. nuclear) peeves me the most.
If you want to see me get mad, wait till I've got a few pints in me
and say that word! And, like everyone, I think my pet peeves have
more basis than other peoples' pet peeves. But the pedantry
surrounding "irregardless" has been elevated far above that of
equivalent abuses like nukular. I just have to wonder why?
Needless to say [giggle], I will continue to use "irregardless"
when I think it appropriate, if for no other reason than to fly my
anti-intellectualist flag while dressed as a
pseduo-intellectual.