One day Holmes and Watson are flying a dirigible balloon. It is foggy around, they have lost their way. Suddenly they see - a shepherd is grazing sheep below. The men are very glad and shout:
- The dear, tell us, please, where we are now?
- You are in the dirigible balloon.
- I understand... - Holmes says. - We are flying over Russia.
- But why? - Watson is surprised.
- It’s elementary, Buddy! Only a programmer could give such an exact and useless answer at the same time. And only in Russia programmers can look after sheep.
adv. Expressing negation, esp.: 1 (also n't joined to a preceding verb) following an auxiliary verb or be or (in a question) the subject of such a verb (i cannot say; she isn't there; am i not right?).
- used elliptically for a negative phrase etc. (is she coming? — i hope not; do you want it? — certainly not!). not at all (in polite reply to thanks) there is no need for thanks. Not half see *half. Not quite 1 almost.
- noticeably not (not quite proper). [contraction of *nought]
