CULTURE WATCH : An Exercise in Grammar . . . Not!

The release of the film “Wayne’s World” has spurred the popularity of Wayne-speak.

The “not” construction, which William Safire calls a “psuedo-Gallic negative,” is the catch phrase of the moment.

“Not” is a staple of any conversation between Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar, the cellar-dwelling hosts of the faux cable show “Wayne’s World,” which appears as a recurring “Saturday Night Live” skit.

Here’s how to use it. Utter any declarative sentence, preferably one conveying a compliment or conviction--then pause, and undercut its meaning with a quick “not.”

The crack has cut across social, political and economic barriers to become the most-abused cliche since Saddam Hussein promised “the mother of all battles.”

Wayne’s work is everywhere:

* T-shirts produced by the Republican National Committee proclaim “Didn’t inhale . . . Not,” playing off Bill Clinton’s claim that he once smoked marijuana without inhaling.

* A Page 6 column in the New York Post had this to say about Garth’s alter ego, Dana Carvey, and his visit to a trendy Manhattan restaurant: “When the ‘Wayne’s World’ star and several friends tried to enter in jeans and T-shirts, they were greeted with a resounding, ‘Not.’ ”

* “Ziggy,” the cartoon nebbish, stares at a map that reads, “You are here . . . NOT!”

* George Will wrote in his syndicated column that “Bush will kill that program. Not.”