H.L. Mencken (18801956). The American Language. 1921. 8. The
Double Negative Syntactically, perhaps the chief characteristic
of vulgar American is its sturdy fidelity to the double
negative. So freely is it used, indeed, that the simple negative
appears to be almost abandoned. Such phrases as I see nobody, I
could hardly walk, I know nothing about it are heard so seldom
among the masses of the people that they appear to be
affectations when encountered; the well-nigh universal forms are
I dont see nobody, I couldnt hardly walk, and I dont know
nothing about it. Charters lists some very typical examples,
among them, he aint never coming back no more, you dont care for
nobody but yourself, couldnt be no more happier and I cant see
nothing. In Lardner there are innumerable examples: they was not
no team, I have not never thought of that, I cant write no more,
no chance to get no money from nowhere, we cant have nothing to
do, and so on. Some of his specimens show a considerable
complexity, for example, Matthewso