Both of my parents are not teachers.

[sitifan]

1. Both of my parents are not teachers.
2. Neither of my parents is a teacher.
Source: Su Chin and Li Weizhen, English Grammar Makes Sense, p262.

The authors say that for most native speakers #1 and #2 have the same meaning.
Do you agree with what they say?

 

[probus]

I suppose that very strictly speaking the authors are correct, but they are nevertheless highly misleading. Number 1 is very unnatural, so much so that in my 75+ years I've never seen or heard anything like it.

 

[Tarheel]

People tend to have very little interest (if any) in what a person does not do.

 

[SoothingDave]

Number 1 contains some ambiguity for me. It's possible that "both" are not teachers, but one of them is. This would be a very misleading way to say it.