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'Stick no bills' sounds awkward.

Shouldn't it be something like 'Do not stick any bills'?

RegDwigнt
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Lazer
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    Obligatory: http://www.snapbuzz.com/images/resized/Bill_Stickers_is_innocent6956.jpg – Kosmonaut Nov 13 '10 at 17:49
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    I've never heard "stick no bills." The phrase I'm used to is "post no bills." Is this a regionalism? (I'm from Northern California, USA.) – J.T. Grimes Nov 14 '10 at 00:03
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    Yes, it does vary from region to region. "Post" and "stick" are the only two that I have ever heard. – Kosmonaut Nov 14 '10 at 04:36
  • @Boofus: Stick no bills! – Lazer Nov 14 '10 at 04:36
  • It must be regional. I've never heard "post no bills" or "stick no bills" in my life. I live in Kentucky. – stevendesu Nov 14 '10 at 17:38
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    Obligatory #2: http://imgur.com/HhlQs – Joshua Karstendick Nov 15 '10 at 03:43
  • @Brian: yeah, that's what the top comment says. – RegDwigнt Nov 17 '10 at 10:32
  • It's slightly archaic usage. For example, the saying goes: "Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies," and not "Don't ask me any questions, and I won't tell you any lies." – Peter Shor Jan 05 '14 at 15:09
  • See no evil. -- GR – Kris Oct 27 '14 at 14:23
  • I think "Post no bills" is more idiomatic, but both are rare in large parts of the US. – Hot Licks Feb 05 '16 at 13:35
  • It's correct English — "take no prisoners", "tell no lies", "give no quarter", "make no mistake", "look no further", "hear no evil". – Peter Shor Mar 07 '21 at 15:00
  • "Defense d'afficher - loi du 29 Juillet 1881" – Drew Jun 20 '23 at 21:25
  • The OP has never explained what he perceives as awkward about 'Stick no bills', but I suspect that it is that it puts focus on bills, rather than stick, even though the most salient feature of what is prohibited is, presumably, that it involves sticking, and not what is stuck. If used in an ordinary conversation (rather than on a sign) the sentence would conversationally implicate that it would be OK to stick other things, which is probably not what was intended. 'Defense d'afficher' doesn't have that problem. – jsw29 Jun 23 '23 at 17:26

4 Answers4

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Both are correct English. I am sure that "stick no bills" was chosen because it is shorter and more to the point than "do not stick any bills", which is often done with signage. We also have "no smoking" instead of "do not smoke", and "no turn on red" instead of "do not turn on red", for example.

Kosmonaut
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    Technically "no smoking" and "no turn on red" are fragments, but any listener understands they mean "no smoking is allowed" and "no turn on red is allowed", respectively. Although I can't speak for "stick no bills", as I've never heard this term before. – stevendesu Nov 14 '10 at 17:38
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    "Stick no bills" makes just as much sense as "say nothing". – Jon Purdy Nov 14 '10 at 18:43
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    Or, do no harm. – Jimi Oke Sep 07 '11 at 01:24
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    I'm more used to seeing "Post no bills". "Stick no bills" makes me smile, since in my region the verb "stick" is more often related to "thrust" than it is to "paste". ("Don't stick your nose into other people's business") I know that I personally try to be very careful as to where I stick MY bill.... – Bob Aug 02 '12 at 17:42
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I am very much used to seeing "post no bills" than "stick no bills", but "stick no bills" is also correct because "stick" is a command word.

brasshat
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user95728
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"Stick no bills" is parallel to "Smoke no cigarettes."

(Please correct me if I am wrong.)

rajah9
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viky
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I find nothing like wrong here as the given fragmentary sentence is in imperative mood which usually facilitates precision in the given piece by its structure with the obviation of the subject and auxiliary verbs ,focussing much on the aim of the instruction .

A.Ramakrishna
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  • I think the concern is over the manner of negation; "Stick bills" (or "Carry children", "Press here", "Open flap", etc) would be less problematic. – Stuart F Jun 20 '23 at 12:43