Should I avoid using a phrase that is commonly misused? [duplicate]

The phrase "Doesn't do nothing" is often used when a person actually means, "Doesn't do anything."

Should I avoid using this phrase? Generally, I would, but in my context, I want to negate what I had said previously.

Example:

I wrote that clicking a button does nothing. Later on, I found out that it does do something, so I want to write that I was wrong and that it, in fact, doesn't do nothing but does x.

Is it okay to write it like this or should I avoid it because people commonly misuse this phrase to mean the opposite?

Solution 1:

The context you supply:

doesn't do nothing but does x

makes it clear that you're using the phrase "doesn't do nothing" in the way you intend.

To avoid the problematic construct altogether, you could say something along the lines of:

Contrary to my previous report, the button isn't passive but instead does x.

Solution 2:

In English, a double negative is taken literally, so the two negatives cancel each other out. In some other languages multiple negatives merely add weight to the negation.