5 ms·

I really hope that stuff like “the commonest” doesn’t become one of the most common mistakes in HN headlines…

skyyler 4y ago
I'm confused, do you have issue with the word "commonest"? The American Heritage dictionary gives the positive, comparative, and superlative forms as common, commoner, and commonest. What's the mistake?
- ManuelKiessling 4y ago
  I can only bring German school-level English to the table, but my instincts told me that someone played loose with what should be “the most common”.
  - skyyler 4y ago
    Your instincts are incorrect, "commonest" is a valid word and it's being used correctly in the title of this article. I hope this mistake of correcting things that aren't mistakes doesn't become one of the most common mistakes in HN comments...
    - ManuelKiessling 4y ago
      I don’t understand your need to be rude after learning that someone is not a native speaker.
      - skyyler 4y ago
        If you aren't a native speaker why did you try to correct the writer of the article? You're allowed to be rude but I am not? I don't want this to be a flame war, I want you to actually reflect on why you think you're allowed to be rude but I am not.
        ManuelKiessling 4y ago
        I wasn’t rude, I was wrong, and any blame for this is totally accepted. I wasn’t rude, because I wasn’t adressing anyone in particular — I wasn’t writing on qmul.ac.uk or in an email to the author. You were communicating directly with me, and I found it unnecessarily rude. Edit: oh and btw you are totally and absolutely “allowed” to be rude, it’s not something I find off-limits or the likes. Just know that I find it… well, rude.
        skyyler 4y ago
        Honestly, my apologies. I’m quitting nicotine after ten years of (ab)using it. I should probably stay off the internet for a while. Again, my apologies.
        ManuelKiessling 4y ago
        That’s great news actually and I wish you all the best to get off of it permanently! Honestly, if venting off on the Internets helps you to go through with it — well I’m always here when you need me ;-)
    - aksss 4y ago
      “Commonest mistakes” - ftfy I concur with GP. IME, “most common” or “most fun” is generally looked upon as better form than “commonest”, or “funnest”. The latter catches the eye and not in a good way, having as it does the ring of childishness to it. Legal, sure. Proper? Nope.
  - djmips 4y ago
    Even if commonest is a valid word I agree that 'the most common' would read better. English is my first language.
someweirdperson 4y ago
It's a verbatim copy of the original article, published by the Queen Mary University of London.

I'm confused, do you have issue with the word "commonest"? The American Heritage dictionary gives the positive, comparative, and superlative forms as common, commoner, and commonest. What's the mistake?

ManuelKiessling 4y ago
I can only bring German school-level English to the table, but my instincts told me that someone played loose with what should be “the most common”.
- skyyler 4y ago
  Your instincts are incorrect, "commonest" is a valid word and it's being used correctly in the title of this article. I hope this mistake of correcting things that aren't mistakes doesn't become one of the most common mistakes in HN comments...
  - ManuelKiessling 4y ago
    I don’t understand your need to be rude after learning that someone is not a native speaker.
    - skyyler 4y ago
      If you aren't a native speaker why did you try to correct the writer of the article? You're allowed to be rude but I am not? I don't want this to be a flame war, I want you to actually reflect on why you think you're allowed to be rude but I am not.
      - ManuelKiessling 4y ago
        I wasn’t rude, I was wrong, and any blame for this is totally accepted. I wasn’t rude, because I wasn’t adressing anyone in particular — I wasn’t writing on qmul.ac.uk or in an email to the author. You were communicating directly with me, and I found it unnecessarily rude. Edit: oh and btw you are totally and absolutely “allowed” to be rude, it’s not something I find off-limits or the likes. Just know that I find it… well, rude.
        skyyler 4y ago
        Honestly, my apologies. I’m quitting nicotine after ten years of (ab)using it. I should probably stay off the internet for a while. Again, my apologies.
        ManuelKiessling 4y ago
        That’s great news actually and I wish you all the best to get off of it permanently! Honestly, if venting off on the Internets helps you to go through with it — well I’m always here when you need me ;-)
  - aksss 4y ago
    “Commonest mistakes” - ftfy I concur with GP. IME, “most common” or “most fun” is generally looked upon as better form than “commonest”, or “funnest”. The latter catches the eye and not in a good way, having as it does the ring of childishness to it. Legal, sure. Proper? Nope.
- djmips 4y ago
  Even if commonest is a valid word I agree that 'the most common' would read better. English is my first language.

someweirdperson 4y ago

It's a verbatim copy of the original article, published by the Queen Mary University of London.