DIS spelling/grammar experts

[PigletsPal2]

I agree with @_19disnA. I think nos and noes are both acceptable, and yeses and yesses are both acceptable. However, personally, I'd try to re-write the sentence to avoid pluralizing either of them.

In your quotation, if it's a direct quote, I'd write it however they did, but I think you could reuse the sentiment by saying "If they don't believe your no, they won't believe your yes either."

I'm a professional editor, and unless I'm prohibited from making the change, I'd recast the sentence to read "If they can't believe you when you say no, they can't believe you when you say yes."

 

[BamaGuy44]

This sounds like something Dr. Phil would say...it's ok as a spoken statement, it sucks in writing. I'd just re-write the whole thing avoiding the plural of yes and no.

Me too, it's very awkward phrasing.