What does “it wasn't an unusual route” mean in this sentence?
I came across this sentence in the story Around the World in 80 Days, but I can't figure out what it means. Does it mean that it was an unusual route or not?
meaning grammar
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I came across this sentence in the story Around the World in 80 Days, but I can't figure out what it means. Does it mean that it was an unusual route or not?
meaning grammar
New contributor
It wasn't an unusual route is pretty clear. What was unusual (per what follows) is that it was taken so quickly after them.
– Jason Bassford
1 hour ago
@JasonBassford i had thought that it was using double negatives to stress for their route was really changing as it went on.Is it the same usage as this sentence:i don’t know nothing?
– Tynan
43 mins ago
@JasonBassford and thanks for helping me with this question.
– Tynan
40 mins ago
The first person pronoun is always capitalized in English. -1 just for that, this is ELU.
– Kris
35 mins ago
I don't know nothing is rarely ever meant to be taken literally. Idiomatically, it means I don't know anything. Even though, literally, it means I know something. That's not really a good example of a proper double negative in English—one that's meant to be taken literally. But to restate this sentence, you could easily say: It was a usual [or normal or ordinary] route, but why did he also want to do it so quickly? There is nothing about the sentence that (to me) is suggestive of the route "changing as it went on."
– Jason Bassford
27 mins ago
|
show 3 more comments
I came across this sentence in the story Around the World in 80 Days, but I can't figure out what it means. Does it mean that it was an unusual route or not?
meaning grammar
New contributor
I came across this sentence in the story Around the World in 80 Days, but I can't figure out what it means. Does it mean that it was an unusual route or not?
meaning grammar
meaning grammar
New contributor
New contributor
edited 3 mins ago
Chappo
2,64541225
2,64541225
New contributor
asked 3 hours ago
TynanTynan
6
6
New contributor
New contributor
It wasn't an unusual route is pretty clear. What was unusual (per what follows) is that it was taken so quickly after them.
– Jason Bassford
1 hour ago
@JasonBassford i had thought that it was using double negatives to stress for their route was really changing as it went on.Is it the same usage as this sentence:i don’t know nothing?
– Tynan
43 mins ago
@JasonBassford and thanks for helping me with this question.
– Tynan
40 mins ago
The first person pronoun is always capitalized in English. -1 just for that, this is ELU.
– Kris
35 mins ago
I don't know nothing is rarely ever meant to be taken literally. Idiomatically, it means I don't know anything. Even though, literally, it means I know something. That's not really a good example of a proper double negative in English—one that's meant to be taken literally. But to restate this sentence, you could easily say: It was a usual [or normal or ordinary] route, but why did he also want to do it so quickly? There is nothing about the sentence that (to me) is suggestive of the route "changing as it went on."
– Jason Bassford
27 mins ago
|
show 3 more comments
It wasn't an unusual route is pretty clear. What was unusual (per what follows) is that it was taken so quickly after them.
– Jason Bassford
1 hour ago
@JasonBassford i had thought that it was using double negatives to stress for their route was really changing as it went on.Is it the same usage as this sentence:i don’t know nothing?
– Tynan
43 mins ago
@JasonBassford and thanks for helping me with this question.
– Tynan
40 mins ago
The first person pronoun is always capitalized in English. -1 just for that, this is ELU.
– Kris
35 mins ago
I don't know nothing is rarely ever meant to be taken literally. Idiomatically, it means I don't know anything. Even though, literally, it means I know something. That's not really a good example of a proper double negative in English—one that's meant to be taken literally. But to restate this sentence, you could easily say: It was a usual [or normal or ordinary] route, but why did he also want to do it so quickly? There is nothing about the sentence that (to me) is suggestive of the route "changing as it went on."
– Jason Bassford
27 mins ago
It wasn't an unusual route is pretty clear. What was unusual (per what follows) is that it was taken so quickly after them.
– Jason Bassford
1 hour ago
It wasn't an unusual route is pretty clear. What was unusual (per what follows) is that it was taken so quickly after them.
– Jason Bassford
1 hour ago
@JasonBassford i had thought that it was using double negatives to stress for their route was really changing as it went on.Is it the same usage as this sentence:i don’t know nothing?
– Tynan
43 mins ago
@JasonBassford i had thought that it was using double negatives to stress for their route was really changing as it went on.Is it the same usage as this sentence:i don’t know nothing?
– Tynan
43 mins ago
@JasonBassford and thanks for helping me with this question.
– Tynan
40 mins ago
@JasonBassford and thanks for helping me with this question.
– Tynan
40 mins ago
The first person pronoun is always capitalized in English. -1 just for that, this is ELU.
– Kris
35 mins ago
The first person pronoun is always capitalized in English. -1 just for that, this is ELU.
– Kris
35 mins ago
I don't know nothing is rarely ever meant to be taken literally. Idiomatically, it means I don't know anything. Even though, literally, it means I know something. That's not really a good example of a proper double negative in English—one that's meant to be taken literally. But to restate this sentence, you could easily say: It was a usual [or normal or ordinary] route, but why did he also want to do it so quickly? There is nothing about the sentence that (to me) is suggestive of the route "changing as it went on."
– Jason Bassford
27 mins ago
I don't know nothing is rarely ever meant to be taken literally. Idiomatically, it means I don't know anything. Even though, literally, it means I know something. That's not really a good example of a proper double negative in English—one that's meant to be taken literally. But to restate this sentence, you could easily say: It was a usual [or normal or ordinary] route, but why did he also want to do it so quickly? There is nothing about the sentence that (to me) is suggestive of the route "changing as it went on."
– Jason Bassford
27 mins ago
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It wasn't an unusual route is pretty clear. What was unusual (per what follows) is that it was taken so quickly after them.
– Jason Bassford
1 hour ago
@JasonBassford i had thought that it was using double negatives to stress for their route was really changing as it went on.Is it the same usage as this sentence:i don’t know nothing?
– Tynan
43 mins ago
@JasonBassford and thanks for helping me with this question.
– Tynan
40 mins ago
The first person pronoun is always capitalized in English. -1 just for that, this is ELU.
– Kris
35 mins ago
I don't know nothing is rarely ever meant to be taken literally. Idiomatically, it means I don't know anything. Even though, literally, it means I know something. That's not really a good example of a proper double negative in English—one that's meant to be taken literally. But to restate this sentence, you could easily say: It was a usual [or normal or ordinary] route, but why did he also want to do it so quickly? There is nothing about the sentence that (to me) is suggestive of the route "changing as it went on."
– Jason Bassford
27 mins ago