When Is It Not Not OK To Use a Double Negative?
Double negatives have a reputation as grammatical villains that are to be avoided at all costs. But like most habits, everything has its time and place. Just ask the Rolling Stones. In their hit track "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (which reportedly came to Keith Richards in his sleep), the
lyrics use a double negative to hit just the right rhythm. And the famous opening line from Pink Floyd — "We don't need no education" — works because it goes against formal grammar rules. Negative words are "no," "not," and contractions such as "can’t" and "don’t," but the category also...
