English language analysis - double negatives

[Name 2616]

Please help me decipher this phrase

 

"I couldn't fail to disagree more"

 

Is this disagreement or agreement?

 

Debate!

[Piero 2272]

agreeing

[IncendiaryH 143]

It means that he is disagreeing to the point that he can't further disagree. He has disagreed to the most that he possibily can. Imagine a number line where Disagree is negative and Agree is positive. The man would be at the negative end.

[Piero 2272]

1 minute ago, IncendiaryH said:

It means that he is disagreeing to the point that he can't further disagree. He has disagreed to the most that he possibily can. Imagine a number line where Disagree is negative and Agree is positive. The man would be at the negative end.

It works like that in Spanish, but I don't think it does in English. 

[IncendiaryH 143]

Just now, Piero said:

It works like that in Spanish, but I don't think it does in English. 

Very true, also seeing that I am a native Spanish speaker, maybe I am getting them wrong but not really sure. I still think its disagree just because if you split the sentence in two, the first section says, he couldn't fail. So he could not fail or, he will succeed. The second part, to disagree more. So if you put it together, it would be I will succeed to disagree more. Or atleast thats how I see it.

[MistaChang 2023]

Still the best explation though so far!

[Name 2616]

Okay so I've put a lot of thought into this and this is what I've reached

 

"I couldn't disagree with you more" implies that he has reached the maximum level of disagreement, ergo adding a fail means he's reached the maximum level of agreement by inverting it once more

[Yunki 2197]

Couldn't fail = can not fail = gurantee 

I can gurantee to disagree more.

 

[Darren 272]

If you parse its logic, the statement neither agrees nor disagrees. "Couldn't ____ more" Just means "____". Therefore the statement is equivalent to "I fail to disagree". Failing to disagree is not necessarily agreeing since middle-ground exists. Someone who is neutral is neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and could just as easily say they fail to disagree as someone who agrees.

[Name 2616]

17 minutes ago, Yunki said:

Couldn't fail = can not fail = gurantee 

I can gurantee to disagree more.

 

When I take this into account, the only thing I get from this now is that he could disagree more, so on a scale where -1 = absolute disagreement, x = where his position is, and 1 = absolute agreement, -1<x<=1

[Carl Sagan 2577]

sg: homework helpline

[Mimic 3307]

I could not fail to disagree more

 

Seems obvious to me.

[Name 2616]

3 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

sg: homework helpline

counterpoint: you're ugly and dumb

[zhopia 71]

I couldn't fail to disagree more.

I am able to disagree more.

 

I am agreeing but I could disagree.

I am disagree but I could expand my disagreeablilty.