Concerning hubris: Absolutely! It is the natural precursor to modern-day pride. Hubris was a considered a crime back in those days; in addition to referring to the perpetrator as the one full of pride, it also included the humiliation caused by such pride and the accompanying violence that often ensued (thus, pride affecting someone other than the self made it, perhaps, worthy of being punishable by law). It was bad enough to bring shame upon oneself by parading about, but adding insult to injury by harming someone else in order to make oneself seem more important was not acceptable. Oedipus, Achilles and especially Icarus come to mind.

Double negatives: You’ll have to point out where I used a true double negative (i.e., two forms of negation in the same clause). The AP Stylebook, like most stylebooks, does not endorse the use of double negatives. However, they are a great tool if your writing is meant to imply a dialect (such as Cockney or Southern) or if you’re trying to emphasize something; playing with the language in such a way can make all the difference in a play or script, with actors working the meaning with inflections. Poetry, too, can incorporate double negatives with success.

Three-legged race a euphemism? I’ll leave that up to you to interpret as you wish!

- Might pride be the worst (or best, dependent on one’s point of view) of the 7 deadlies as a carry-over from the Greek’s hubris? Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and the boys made a killing peddling hubris to the masses.

- What does the AP have to say about double negatives? They have occurred with increasing frequency and now you are using it. Is it now acceptable to use double negatives? Is “Friends” to blame?

- Is three-legged race a euphemism?