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The architecture of “not bad”: Decoding the Chinese source code of the void

(suggger.substack.com)
112 points Suggger | 2 comments | 11 Dec 25 14:21 UTC | HN request time: 0.39s | source
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skybrian ◴[11 Dec 25 21:01 UTC] No.46237094[source]▶
Maybe there's a difference in frequency of usage, but we also say things like "he's not wrong" pretty often in English.
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crote ◴[11 Dec 25 21:30 UTC] No.46237425[source]▶
I reckon a decept part of that is due to American English vs. British English.

A great example of this is the Korean War, where a British brigadier in an extremely difficult situation told an American general "Things are a bit sticky, sir" - who interpreted it as "Could be better, but we're holding the line". The misunderstanding resulted in 500 dead and captured.

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BalinKing ◴[11 Dec 25 22:14 UTC] No.46237986[source]▶
FWIW I’m not quite convinced there’s that much of a dialectical divide: “Not bad,” “he’s not wrong,” etc. sound entirely natural to me in American English.
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1. t-3 ◴[11 Dec 25 22:36 UTC] No.46238272[source]▶
"American English" has so many dialects and regional variations that aren't even mutually intelligible that making statements about it is pointless anyway.
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2. psunavy03 ◴[11 Dec 25 22:56 UTC] No.46238494[source]▶
I'd argue there's few Americans I flat out couldn't understand, even if it sounds like they're putting their words through a blender. And I say that having lived all over the country, Northeast, Midwest, West, and deep South. Accents can be thick but they're largely intelligible. Unlike, say, the Scots.

Especially compared to a language like German. I took 5 years of German and still didn't have a damn clue what anyone was saying if they were talking in dialect.