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"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.
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Re: "didn’t use×" and "used not√"
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.
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Re: "didn’t use×" and "used not√"
Happy New Year, Dave!

Originally Posted by
SoothingDave
Do you know the word "elegant"?
inelegant
adjective clumsy, awkward, ungainly, rough, crude, coarse, crass, gauche, uncouth, unrefined, clunky (informal), graceless, uncultivated, unpolished, indelicate, ungraceful
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Re: "didn’t use×" and "used not√"
I would go more with "unrefined, unpolished, graceless."
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Re: "didn’t use×" and "used not√"

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.
It was not I (as gramorak) who called this structure inelegant. It was the writer I was criticising.
Context is important. Please provide enough for us to be able to deal effectively with your question.
Your thread title should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed.
If you just want to know the meaning of a word, try OneLook Dictionary Search first.
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