Inspired from another thread....

[spaceman]

well does it?

 

[KEV1N]

Logically, yes, if you assume "more" is "not less (~less)" and useful is "not useless (~useless)".

Then "not less useless" = "not less" and "not useless" = more useful

But semantically, no, because less useless implies that the subject is still useless, just to a lesser degree. If a thing is useless to any degree, it can hardly be called useful.

 

[Hankerton]

Originally posted by: KEV1N
Logically, yes, if you assume "more" is "not less (~less)" and useful is "not useless (~useless)".

Then "not less useless" = "not less" and "not useless" = more useful

But semantically, no, because less useless implies that the subject is still useless, just to a lesser degree. If a thing is useless to any degree, it can hardly be called useful.

wow, that was a really thought out and informative answer to a kind of silly question. Are you an English teacher, or do you just have a lot of time on your hands?

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: KEV1N
Logically, yes, if you assume "more" is "not less (~less)" and useful is "not useless (~useless)".

Then "not less useless" = "not less" and "not useless" = more useful

But semantically, no, because less useless implies that the subject is still useless, just to a lesser degree. If a thing is useless to any degree, it can hardly be called useful.

whoa

my head hurts

 

[spaceman]

Originally posted by: KEV1N
Logically, yes, if you assume "more" is "not less (~less)" and useful is "not useless (~useless)".

Then "not less useless" = "not less" and "not useless" = more useful

But semantically, no, because less useless implies that the subject is still useless, just to a lesser degree. If a thing is useless to any degree, it can hardly be called useful.

i wish i could bottle you up.

 

[ragazzo]

less useless is relative. if you have two useless items A & B and B happens to be less useless than A, then B is just less useless. By saying B is more useful than A, you are implying that B isn't useless at all since if it's the only item left on the shelf, then you might use it. You'll just ignore A all together since it's useless.

 

[ragazzo]

yeah, what kevin said.