Not for Nothing - by Joel Neff
Indefinite pronouns are words like anyone, everything, someday, etc. and they are a pain in the butt to teach. (If you're interested in the grammar and why it's hard to teach, take a look at the bottom of this section.) I often take a shortcut and try to use popular songs to show real-world examples:
Billy Preston's Nothing from Nothing:
Nothing from nothing leaves nothing.
You gotta have something, if you wanna be with me.
Help! I need somebody.
Help! Not just anybody.
Help! You know I need someone, help!
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
All of which leads me to today's point: sometimes my job is nothing more than an excuse for me to find new music. I was asked recently about the meaning of not for nothing. Explaining the meaning was easy enough - it means for a very good reason - but explaining the usage was harder.
We often use not for nothing to direct the listener's attention to our next words. In other words, by prefacing a phrase with not for nothing, I'm signaling that what I'm about to say is worth paying special attention to. Yet, by using it, I'm being less direct and forceful than if I were to say, bluntly, pay attention. So, I can use it to interject or to refute or to explain a particular point without turning a conversation into an argument. And, as for natural, authentic examples, I thought I'd use the song...
Only I didn't have one. I had lots of other real-world examples, mainly just be clipping an Aaron Sorkin clip just about at random, but, I wanted a song. My thinking was that if I could find a good one, I'd be able to collate it with the other examples of indefinite pronouns I had (listed above) and I'd be better able to put together an entire unit of lessons. So, I went on a search.
Nothing. I had nothing. That's kind of unusual for me. So, I set out to find a song containing the phrase "not for nothing." Here’s what I found.
Otis McDonald - Not for Nothing - This is one of the most popular search results; it’s one hell of a beat, but, uh, has no lyrics. So, interesting song, but doesn’t work for what I need. Next.
Nico & Vinz - Not for Nothing - It’s a nice enough song and the lyrics make good use of not for nothing but I’m hoping for something a little more uptempo and maybe something that makes use of more indefinite pronouns. Next.
Guster - Not for Nothing - Atmospheric and trippy; kind of reminds me of Spiritualized and I dig it. But…doesn’t work for this project. Not only is it minor key, it’s got a couple of swear words in it, so, next.
Swear and Shake - Not for Nothing - I really like this one. Kind of jazzy singer-songwriter. The lyrics actually say, “don’t say it’s for nothing,” but I think I can make that work. So, we have a winner.
So, not for nothing, this week is less a look at an idiom or another piece of language and instead, is just an excuse for me to go on a hunt for something new to listen to. Maybe you found something new, too? Here’s hoping.
For anyone playing along at home, here are some things to be aware of when teaching indefinite pronouns to second-language learners:
Indefinite pronouns often function as a different part of speech in different contexts. For example, He has one job during the day and another at night (pronoun), vs. I'd like another drink, please (adjective).
Some indefinite pronouns are singular, some are plural, and some are both depending on the use, which can lead to subject-verb agreement errors.
Finally, because their meaning is at least partially derived from context rather than lexical use. For example, "Would you like anything to drink?" and "Would you like something to drink?" are both correct, depending on which answer you expect to receive (any = probable no, some = probable yes).
From The Phrase Finder:
Whenever you see the phrase "not for nothing" substitute the following phrase--"If you don't mind my asking" and it will make sense.
From the blog, Historically Speaking, on the origins of the phrase:
You can lay the blame for double negatives on Latin, where positive assertions are made by way of double negatives.
From Urban Dictionary’s blog:
(It) is used to soften the blow of something that would normally be offensive or come on too strong.
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Since I’m talking music this week and since we’ve only a couple of weeks left in the year, I thought I’d run down my five favorite songs of the year in no particular order:
Haim - Summer Girl - As I’ve said before, I didn’t really know much about Haim, but I heard this song and dug it. Then my daughter got hold of it and now we’ve got just about the entire Haim catalog…
Sleater-Kinney - The Future is Here - Loved that S-K came back this year with a new record that sounds like them, but evolved. This song is my favorite off the record.
Ezra Furman - I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend - Been listening to Furman for years and really loved a lot of the other records, but found that they had something new to say as they grapple with their identity. Fantastic track on a great record.
Better Oblivion Community Center - Dylan Thomas - Just a perfect pop song that only gets better with repeated listening.
Lana Del Rey - Hope Is a Dangerous Thing… - I just love this track. Kinda reminds me of the first time I heard Tori Amos’ Little Earthquakes record. Don’t @ me.
Next time: Hark! That's it. Stay strong, stay curious. Learn something.
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