Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is it aggressive to end a question with "or not"?

27 replies

scalt · 20/12/2024 16:02

"Are you coming, or not?"
"Are you going to support my cause, or not?"
"Do you like Christmas, or not?"
"Do you believe in Santa, or not?"

To me, sticking "or not" on the end of a question quite strongly implies aggression, or demanding an answer RIGHT NOW. I know somebody who does this in conversation all the time, probably innocently, with questions such as "did you go to the shops, or not?" "Did you win your game, or not?" To me, the "or not" is redundant, and sounds like aggression, and implies that only a binary yes/no is wanted, and nothing more, and certainly not a longer answer.

YANBU - "or not" is aggressive
YABU - "or not" is not aggressive

OP posts:
MyAmberBear · 20/12/2024 16:05

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Hellisemptyallthdevilsarehere · 20/12/2024 16:05

I was thinking no, not always, but actually each of your examples do sound aggressive to me when I think about it.

Swipe left for the next trending thread