--- wordpress-3.3.1-ca//wp-includes/query.php   2012-03-01 20:48:04.000000000 +0100
+++ wordpress_new//wp-includes/query.php        2012-03-01 20:48:49.000000000 +0100
@@ -2279,7 +2279,7 @@ class WP_Query {
                                $eq = '!=';
                                $andor = 'AND';
                                $q['author'] = explode('-', $q['author']);
-                               $q['author'] = (string)absint($q['author'][1]);
+                               $q['author'] = $q['author'][1];
                        } else {
                                $eq = '=';
                                $andor = 'OR';