RE: The Edge of Greatness? (was "Errors")

Subject: RE: The Edge of Greatness? (was "Errors")
From: "Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 22 May 2007 14:32:42 -0600

Andrew Warren wrote:

> A strong argument can be made that this example, because it's
> in such a reputable document, helps to MAKE the usage of
> "more perfect"
> acceptable.
>
> You may find the American Heritage Dictionary's "perfect"
> usage notes interesting; they're here:
>
> http://www.thefreedictionary.com/perfect
>

I've never bought the argument that absolute terms such as perfect,
unique, and equal can't take qualifiers of degree. Perfection
(uniqueness, equality, ...) is rarely achieved, but it can be
_approached_. Some people, institutions, etc., come closer to achieving
that state than others, and thus they are more _nearly_ perfect (unique,
equal, ...).

It seems perfectly reasonable to me to drop _nearly_ as understood or
implied. It's no more idiomatic than a million other expressions.

YMMV, of course. :-)

Richard


------
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------




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RE: The Edge of Greatness? (was "Errors"): From: Andrew Warren

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