1. Home
  2. English Vocabulary
  3. How to say no.

English Vocabulary


How to say no.

AhQ ['a: kiu]
User since 2006
Posts: 2715

26 April 2007

How to say no, that’s a basic complicated question.
At first sight saying no is pretty simple. Two plain letters, one consonant bringing along a vowel. What round a vowel!
It’s seemingly trivial a word but in fact it’s a trick issue. There are quite a few manners to say it, there are a lot of so-called synonyms.
Were you, like me, a French speaking person trying to speak English, you’d have to deal with more than one problem.


For example, a wife to her French husband: “Ah non, pas comme çà !”
but the same wife to her British lover would say: ‘Oh no, not so!’
Only round ‘o’s suit to British affairs.
The English instinctively admire any woman who has the talent to start with: ‘Oh no, not so!’
because they know it's going on this way:


Oh no, not so! Don’t touch me!
No, don’t touch me!
Don’t touch!
Don’t!
Do!
Please, do!
Do so!




To evade the difficulty, you could simply say nothing but just move your head from right to left and from left to right. I guess Levi-Strauss could say more about that archetypal gesture. However I’d check out if Horatio who’s been raised in the jungle don’t express the negation by nodding.


Anyway I’d be very grateful to GGusers who would be so kind as to teaching me more about how I have to say no.

6 comments

  • User since 2006
    Posts: 2715

    30 April 2007

    What the hell are you looking for, Gee?
    Why say no?
    Because you’re mean?
    Be generous! Go tally 3 letters!
    Say yes!
    That's 50percent extra, just for changing your mind.
  • User since 2006
    Posts: 2715

    5 May 2007

    I don’t agree, Guardian Angel.
    In some situations you might be generous by saying no!
    Example:
    Coming home at night you bump into a bandit in the dark streets of your gloomy city. The bandit is about to stab you saying “Do you want me to kill you?”
    You could answer: “Not at all” or “Absolutely not” or “No way!” or “Of course not!” and similar set phrases.
    Doing so you would be generous twice. On the one hand by preventing someone to become a murderer, on the other hand by handing over a lot of letters, well more than with a “yes”.
  • User since 2006
    Posts: 2715

    6 May 2007

    You're right, Kevin.
    But the problem keeps pending if the bandit has added: I won't take no for an answer.
    How to manage it in this case?
  • User since 2006
    Posts: 2715

    14 May 2007

    Just say yes to the opposite.
    To the bandit who tells you: 'Do you want me to kill you', just answer: 'I want you to make me anything else than killing me.'


    Of course it works with a bandit who is presumed to be stupid. Logic is beyond him.
    For a clever guy, it's obvious that making anything else than killing doesn't imply that killing won't be made.
    At the question <Is p true?>
    The answer <q is true> does not imply that p is false.
    But it's sometimes good to be a sophist.
  • User since 2007
    Posts: 6

    14 May 2007

    Best Gee,


    I suggest you to say "No!" with your heart. Only when it's necessary and that your mind is fully busy with many other things. You know what I mean, don't you?
    "No'" is for me like a bell, a red alert that endless rings but... perhaps is it yet too late...
    I think it's easier to say "No!" than "Yes! (aarrghh but I don't want/I don't have time/I'm not your disciple/...!!!!)". Your mind will thank you for this.


    KateWoman


    From Gee:
    How to say no, that’s a basic complicated question.
    At first sight saying no is pretty simple. Two plain letters, one consonant bringing along a vowel. What round a vowel!
    It’s seemingly trivial a word but in fact it’s a trick issue. There are quite a few manners to say it, there are a lot of so-called synonyms.
    Were you, like me, a French speaking person trying to speak English, you’d have to deal with more than one problem.


    For example, a wife to her French husband: “Ah non, pas comme çà !”
    but the same wife to her British lover would say: ‘Oh no, not so!’
    Only round ‘o’s suit to British affairs.
    The English instinctively admire any woman who has the talent to start with: ‘Oh no, not so!’
    because they know it's going on this way:


    Oh no, not so! Don’t touch me!
    No, don’t touch me!
    Don’t touch!
    Don’t!
    Do!
    Please, do!
    Do so!




    To evade the difficulty, you could simply say nothing but just move your head from right to left and from left to right. I guess Levi-Strauss could say more about that archetypal gesture. However I’d check out if Horatio who’s been raised in the jungle don’t express the negation by nodding.


    Anyway I’d be very grateful to GGusers who would be so kind as to teaching me more about how I have to say no.


     
  • User since 2006
    Posts: 2715

    16 May 2007

    Oh Kate the gracious Woman,
    What a great psychologist you are! So perceptive about hearts and feelings.
    As long as I'm as shrewd as to twig your wise advice, I understand that I always have to be upfront with people.
    I must say NO rather than a coy and coward YES.


    Thanks to you I've got a new motto: NEVER SAY NO TO NO.


    I presume that the YES suggested by The Guardian Angel has nothing to do with the NO of KateWoman, because in heaven everyone is at heart-to-heart with everyone and they all are open-hearted and open-handed. I guess that there up there is no way to say no.


    About the sophistic trick put forward by Kevin the sophist, I'm going to use it with my donkey.


    Feeling now well-equipped to cope with any situation, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your efficient contribution.
    Gee

Please sign in to leave a comment.