Reader's Letter Of The Day

From the FT:

Sir, Michael Skapinker ("Choose the English that helps you win", Business Life, May 24) refers to the use of double negatives.

I am reminded of the linguistics professor addressing his class who said: "A double negative will convey a positive; a negative and a positive in conjunction will convey a negative; but two positives in conjunction will never convey a negative". Whereupon a voice from the back of the room piped up: "Yeah, right."

Ian Prideaux, London.

Or as the Germans say: "Yeah, yeah" means "no".