How Not?

[Sexnotgender]

AIBU to think how not is a perfectly acceptable question?

My non Scottish husband thinks how not is not a question.

Frankly I think someone from a country that uses the phrase now now doesn’t get to judge my grammar!

[Wheresthebiffer2]

In Standard English it would be "Why not?". I love the Scots way of saying "how?" or "how no?" instead of Why/why not. lol

[ClosedDoors]

I've never heard it before! SE England.

[pictish]

How no?
Haha...we say it. Scottish too.

[bookishtartlet]

In Scotland we don't question why, we demand how. I'm sure that's Kevin Bridges' observation. I mainly just use "how?" to confuse even further.

[Thedogscollar]

@Sexnotgender How not is perfectly acceptable to me. Never lose your dialect it's part of who you are and your identity. My English friends love my Scottishisms

[AfterSchoolWorry]

Never heard it before!

[LochJessMonster]

Don’t know what it means!
Is it suppose to be like ‘why not?’

[Mollypolly2610]

Gonna no dae that

How no?

[LaurieFairyCake]

Jist tell him to awa' and bile...

[Sexnotgender]

@Mollypolly2610

Gonna no dae that

How no?

Just gonnae no 😂

[Doggybiccys]

Don’t forget “how come” as in “how come you’re always on Mumsnet?”. I guess we just don’t like the word why!!

[Sexnotgender]

@LochJessMonster

Don’t know what it means!
Is it suppose to be like ‘why not?’

Yes it’s the Scottish equivalent of why not.

[chipsandpeas]

think its a scottish thing

[PastramiNoRye]

I'm a fan of just "how?". Covers a wide range of questions! Also Scottish.

[Sexnotgender]

@PastramiNoRye

I'm a fan of just "how?". Covers a wide range of questions! Also Scottish.

I just use ‘How’ regularly too. Apparently also not ok😏

[TimeIhadaNameChange]

I get very confused when I go down south these days. Never know whether I need why? Or how?

[Iliketeaagain]

It's a very Scottish thing. I live in England, and have strange looks from friends and colleagues when I ask "how not?" or just "how?" When I mean why..

Alongside "where do you stay?" when asking where someone lives. I've lived in the sunny south for 20+ years and I still use how for why!

[CatBatCat]

Fine by me but I'm south west and I thing "wheres that to?" is perfectly fine

[FizzFan]

I’m Scottish but “how” instead of “why” makes me cringe.

[mistermagpie]

I have lived in Scotland for over 20 years but I'm not Scottish, this is one of those weird sayings that I only ever hear here!

That and the ever confusing 'I'll get you at the back of 9' or 'I can see it far enough' when you don't really want to do something.

[BathshebaAndGabriel]

I was raised by Glaswegians in London.
Perfectly acceptable question, if you ask me!

As a child I spent years thinking “Maybe” was spelt “Mibbie”

[Sexnotgender]

@mistermagpie

I have lived in Scotland for over 20 years but I'm not Scottish, this is one of those weird sayings that I only ever hear here!

That and the ever confusing 'I'll get you at the back of 9' or 'I can see it far enough' when you don't really want to do something.

What’s wrong with the back of 9😂 it’s just a bit after 9.

[mistermagpie]

But I can never remember if it's before nine or after nine and either way, why not just say nine or ten past nine or whatever!!

And then there's 'I'll get you'

[ConstantlySeekingHappiness]

“How?” is a perfectly acceptable response to most questions.

I laughed at “the back of 9”. Everything happens ‘at the back of’ every hour - never on the hour, never half past the hour

Scottish here!

[pictish]

Yes true everything happens at the back of the hour. I don’t know why...it just does. It’s fine.
Had never thought of ‘the back of’ being a Scottish thing before but I guess it is.