"didn’t use×" and "used not√"

Q. They didn’t use to allow such goings-on here.
A. didn’t use× used not√. Inelegant form of verb used, though the expression (didn’t use) is frequently used by inelegant speakers.

Inelegant speakers must make up over 90% of the population, then. ‘used not’ sounds odd these days to most people.
More: Gramorak's Blog | A haven for grammar bunnies

I haven’t understood what has been mentioned in the above text thus far because I am not familiar with the word "inelegant" although I have checked the dictionary. As a result, according to the above explanation, what is the difference between the following pairs, please?

I didn’t use to smoke.

I used not to smoke.

Do you know the word "elegant"?

I'm not sure why this author calls this formation "inelegant." As he notes, the "inelegant" formation is the commonly used one.

I would never say "I used not to..."

Maybe it's different in BrE.

Happy New Year, Dave!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SoothingDave

Do you know the word "elegant"?

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inelegant

adjective clumsy, awkward, ungainly, rough, crude, coarse, crass, gauche, uncouth, unrefined, clunky (informal), graceless, uncultivated, unpolished, indelicate, ungraceful

More: inelegant - definition of inelegant by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

We have multiple synonyms, I couldn’t pick up the appropriate one. However, I would use either awkward or clunky.

I would go more with "unrefined, unpolished, graceless."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SoothingDave

I'm not sure why this author calls this formation "inelegant." As he notes, the "inelegant" formation is the commonly used one.

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It was not I (as gramorak) who called this structure inelegant. It was the writer I was criticising.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Odessa Dawn

I haven’t understood what has been mentioned in the above text thus far because I am not familiar with the word "inelegant" although I have checked the dictionary.

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Ooooh, get along with you. :up: