A Son of the Rock

I was listening to the car radio on Friday at a changeover of DJ. Said DJ found his controls weren’t working properly, none of his opening jingles fired and then they all went off at once. After the first song he then complained about when buttons start “to not work”.

Why did he not say “start not to work”? This construction is (or was,) after all, the standard way in English to negate an infinitive.

I have however noticed over the past few years the usage of “to not” creeping into public discourse from news reporters and the like. I’ve even seen it in newspaper articles. I can’t say I’ve heard it in everyday speech though.

I realise in some situations there may be a case for saying “to not” do something or other, when it is the not doing that is the point of the sentence. Otherwise not to do something remains perfectly adequate.

I suppose this solecism is really a special case of the split infinitive (as in “to boldly go”) but for all my life up till a couple of years ago the standard way “to not do” something was always “not to do” it.

I might wonder what Shakespeare would have said. Except I know.

So. To be or to not be?

That is not the question.