Comments on: Best Foot Forward http://www.dailywritingtips.com/best-foot-forward/ Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:00:37 -0300 hourly 1 By: Lauren http://www.dailywritingtips.com/best-foot-forward/comment-page-1/#comment-290959 Lauren Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:43:51 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/?p=3932#comment-290959 Haha, this article is great. Haha, this article is great.

]]> By: Shiv http://www.dailywritingtips.com/best-foot-forward/comment-page-1/#comment-286378 Shiv Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:01:21 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/?p=3932#comment-286378 The site is a gift from heaven for people like us who feel the constant need to better our language. Having swam a while in the vast ocean of the internet looking for guidance, I can say that it is undoubtedly the 'best' of the lot... The site is a gift from heaven for people like us who feel the constant need to better our language. Having swam a while in the vast ocean of the internet looking for guidance, I can say that it is undoubtedly the ‘best’ of the lot…

]]> By: Ryan http://www.dailywritingtips.com/best-foot-forward/comment-page-1/#comment-215407 Ryan Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:45:31 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/?p=3932#comment-215407 I have to disagree with the assertion that "best" implies "out of three or more". I'd love to see a reference if you've got one. To my mind, there's a fundamental distinction between comparatives and superlatives. As I understand it, "better" and other comparatives are used in relation to a particular option: the left foot is better than the right (for example). On the other hand (foot?), "best" and other superlatives are used in relation to all the other options -- regardless of how many "all" may mean. In this case, the left may be both the "better" and the "best" foot! I have to disagree with the assertion that “best” implies “out of three or more”. I’d love to see a reference if you’ve got one.

To my mind, there’s a fundamental distinction between comparatives and superlatives. As I understand it, “better” and other comparatives are used in relation to a particular option: the left foot is better than the right (for example). On the other hand (foot?), “best” and other superlatives are used in relation to all the other options — regardless of how many “all” may mean. In this case, the left may be both the “better” and the “best” foot!

]]> By: Jon http://www.dailywritingtips.com/best-foot-forward/comment-page-1/#comment-213708 Jon Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:39:05 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/?p=3932#comment-213708 Does this mean that in a wedding party with, for instance, only two groomsmen, the one charged with holding the ring for the groom should be named as the "<em>Better Man</em>" instead of "<em>Best Man</em>"?... Does this mean that in a wedding party with, for instance, only two groomsmen, the one charged with holding the ring for the groom should be named as the “Better Man” instead of “Best Man“?…

]]> By: Russell Bliss http://www.dailywritingtips.com/best-foot-forward/comment-page-1/#comment-212909 Russell Bliss Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:53:11 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/?p=3932#comment-212909 Someone who puts their "best foot forward" must... If there ever was a real battle over using the plural pronoun this way, it has long since been lost. This usage was common even before "his" became politically incorrect and I will confess to having slipped into it myself from time to time. Linguists dismiss people like me as language purists, but to me (and pretty much only me, I'm afraid) this smacks of laziness and sounds ugly. In casual speech, I can accept it but when committing something to paper, surely a writer can take ten seconds to think of a better phrasing. Putting ones "best foot forward" must... uses fewer word and doesn't introduce any sort of awkwardness to the sentence. Someone who puts their “best foot forward” must… If there ever was a real battle over using the plural pronoun this way, it has long since been lost. This usage was common even before “his” became politically incorrect and I will confess to having slipped into it myself from time to time. Linguists dismiss people like me as language purists, but to me (and pretty much only me, I’m afraid) this smacks of laziness and sounds ugly. In casual speech, I can accept it but when committing something to paper, surely a writer can take ten seconds to think of a better phrasing. Putting ones “best foot forward” must… uses fewer word and doesn’t introduce any sort of awkwardness to the sentence.

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