MYSTERY POLL

[arwalden]

If someone says:

"I couldn't possibly fail to disagree with you less."

are they AGREEING with you, or DISAGREEING with you?


edit: clarity

[Misunderestimator]

1. That just gives me a headache

[mac56]

2. hmmm...lessee...

"I couldn't disagree with you less", it seems to me, means "I couldn't agree with you more."

"Possibly fail to" negates that.

Disagree. Final answer, Regis.

[terrya]

3. Let's parse this sentence.

I couldn't possibly fail to disagree with you: I can't disagree with you.

Less: I can't disagree with you less.

Meaning: I agree with you.

BTW: I like your new sig line. It's a lovely message.

Terry

[Robb]

4. Whether they agree or not isn't relevant

...they are demanding to be smacked. And I'd oblige. :evilgrin:

[BlondieK143]

5. swooosh

That would be the sound of that going over my head. :crazy:

[freetobegay]

6. That phrase looks so familiar!

[jobycom]

7. Neither

They're drunk.

[jobycom]

8. Or

Is it saying "disagree with you less," or does it mean "I couldn't fail less to disagree with you."?

[terrya]

9. A "this is going to bother me all day" kick.

[FarmerOak]

10. Break it in half.

I couldn't possibly fail = I SHALL

Disagree with you less = AGREE WITH YOU MORE

I SHALL + AGREE WITH YOU MORE = WE AGREE

See? It's just algebra.

[XNASA]

11. So what's the story behind this one?

Someone you know having a spat over linguini?...I mean...linguistics?:shrug:

on edit: For some reason, I called Allen "T". I'm off me rocker.

[arwalden]

17. No Story... It's Just Something I've Heard Before And It's Bugged Me...

because I can't decide exactly what it means. No bets to win or arguments to settle... it's just for my own knowledge

-- Allen

PS: Linguini? "T"? --- Obviously you've been watching too many episodes of the Sopranos. :-)

[XNASA]

18. The odd thing...........

I don't have HBO.

[southpaw]

12. Is that a QUADRUPLE NEGATIVE?

What a brain buster...

[MallRat]

13. I couldn't possibly fail = It would be easy

So:

"It would be easy to disagree with you less."

Weird. It sounds like they're apt to disagree with you, but it wouldn't take much to convince them to come around to your side.

Maybe.

I think.

My head hurts.

:crazy:

[arwalden]

20. We're Using Similar Logic, But Coming Up With A Different Answer

My interpretation of "I couldn't possibly fail to disagree with you less" is this...

I disagree with you with such great intensity, that it would be impossible for me to disagree with you any less than I do now.

Or... more simply...

It is impossible for me to lessen how intensely I disagree with you.

Simpler still..

I disagree with you.


And even after typing out my explanation and translation... I'm still not certain if I'm correct or not.

-- Allen

[MallRat]

14. My personal crusade to stop "I could care less."

How many times have you heard people say "I could care less," when they obviously mean to say, "I COULDN'T care less?"

It's like nails on a chalkboard to me... MUST... STOP... IMPROPER... USAGE...

-MR

[jpgray]

15. I have it. I'm so smart. Everyone look. No, everyone really take a gawk

It parses out to "I could disagree with you less." All it means is that the disagreement isn't on the most tenuous level of disagreement yet, wherein disagreeing any less would mean ceasing to disagree at all. It can mean one step away from ambivalence, or one step away from total agreement, depending on how you see the agreement-disagreement continuum.

One view on that continuum is that disagreement ends at ambivalence, and agreement begins at ambivalence's end.

The other holds that only the extremes are pure disagreement/agreement, whereas everything in between has some of each. The point where the levels of agreement and disagreement are perfectly equal would then be properly described as ambivalence.

(hopefully no one actually read that or took it seriously)

[Buns_of_Fire]

16. Lemme take a shot at it...

"I couldn't possibly fail to disagree with you less." equals
I couldn't possibly fail to disagree with you less (remove superlative) equals
I couldn't fail to disagree with you less equals to fail to disagree is to succeed in agreement equals
I couldn't agree with you less equals
I couldn't agree with you less equals to disagree with you more equals
I couldn't disagree with you more equals
"I like pizza."

QED. (What do I win?)

[ironflange]

19. Let me try

Take the "fail to disagree" part, it's the same as "agree." Plug it back in, it becomes:

I couldn't possibly agree with you less

The answer is disagree.

[FarmerOak]

21. SOLVED!

Both responses are correct, depending upon where you make the word break.

It's like the old chestnut about the established writer talking to the aspiring writer:

"I shall waste no time in reading your manuscript."

Now, is that writer going to rush to read the manuscript? Or is that writer going to avoid that manuscript?

Ah, English. She is so lovely, so ambiguous!

[arwalden]

22. Another One That Comes To Mind...

"You can't put too much water in the radiator."

Does this mean that no amount of water is too great? Go ahead...add all you want!

Or does it mean that one should be careful NOT to add too much water to the radiator?

-- Allen

[FarmerOak]

23. Let's adapt that for DU, Allen.

"You can't put too much faith in the Electoral College system."

[arwalden]

24. Oh, That's Just Painful!!