It’s
a wonderful example of how language evolves and develops. A phrase
that means exactly what it says, but gets tossed out so casually
that it’s offered more out of habit, ranking right up there with
hemming and hawing and hmm and umm and more on the scale of nervous
space filling mutters.
“Not
for nothing” is firmly entrenched in the cupboard of language
resources with what we might best classify as the no-nutritional-value-whatsoever
of junk food expressions.
And
yet, it’s powerful and possibly even perfect.
Right
out of the gate, it hits us with a double-negative. No messing
around. Not and nothing. So, that’s something.
Not
nothing is something.
Ticks
some folks by being a double-negative. Tickles other folks by
being a double-negative. Regardless, the double-negative is part
of the fun.
(Regardless?
Hmm. Since I’m playing with the double-negative part and looking
to poke the double-negative hating bears, perhaps I should have
used irregardless. That would have been fun. Oh well, next time.)
It’s
literal. I’m offering this up for something. It’s not free, not
presented for nothing, but here it is for something. (And yet,
rarely when it’s said does anyone get paid.)
It
exists on a level between serious and casual, straddling the fence
and playing in both yards. “Not for nothing”… this is important,
has value, and we should pay attention to the thought. “Not for
nothing”… do what you want, whatever, but just a random idea we
might want to think about that I’d rather say than not.
Then,
within the concept is an often missed, and perhaps in the casual
moments unintended, a message that something has value because
it isn’t free. Whatever it is happens to be offered for something,
and therefor should be taken a bit more seriously.
The
expression has been around for so long, the origins are truly
unknown. Sources are cited with versions of the expression going
back centuries. And if you dare ask about it, the twists and turns
and forks in the road of discussion appear.
Wait.
A twisting road? Sure…
Many
folks will tell you to always question a situation where you get
something for nothing. An offshoot of the too good to be true
philosophy. Yup, an offshoot.
A
few steps to the side reside questions about why someone would
give you something, as there’s no such thing as something for
nothing. Whether you realize it or not, whether you know the cost
or not, something is seldom free. That makes the offshoot and
full on digression.
There’s
a subtlety at play within the phrase. A delicacy that remains
unappreciated. And, for me, more than anything else that is where
the true magic can be found. It’s an unspoken request to be taken
seriously. There’s a reason for what I’m about to say. There’s
a substance to it, a value that I hope you’ll consider. Don’t
just toss this information aside. Please give it some attention.
Ultimately,
we arrive at a place where hopefully results reflect the significance
of the moment. The significance of the action or thought or situation.
That whatever it is exists for a reason. That it is not for nothing.
A
quirky phrase indeed. Dust in the corners. Worn along the edges.
Buffeted about a bit. Removed from the box and played with to
a degree where we can be numb to the implications when it’s presented.
Still, I would argue there’s always something in nothing.