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hamworld05
Apr 22, 2007, 04:27 PM
What type of mistake is " very unique"? I think it's a mistake in style.

Clough
Apr 23, 2007, 02:39 AM
What type of mistake as being "very unique" depends on the context in which it concerns. Please explain the context to which it concerns is.

Capuchin
Apr 23, 2007, 02:43 AM
When something is unique, it means there is only one of them.

Something cannot be more unique than another thing. There aren't degrees of uniqueness. Something is either unique or not. "Very Unique" has no meaning. Likewise, something cannot be "a little bit unique".

I don't know what you mean by type of mistake, but hopefully you will be able to identify what you are looking from now that I've told you why it's a mistake.

iAMfromHuntersBar
Apr 23, 2007, 02:47 AM
"I'm unique - just like everyone else!"

Capuchin
Apr 23, 2007, 03:04 AM
All people are unique, just some are more unique than others? :P (Orwellish)

iAMfromHuntersBar
Apr 23, 2007, 03:13 AM
*claps*

Brilliant! I know quite a few people that don't understand that!

hamworld05
Apr 24, 2007, 06:37 PM
When something is unique, it means there is only one of them.

Something cannot be more unique than another thing. There aren't degrees of uniqueness. Something is either unique or not. "Very Unique" has no meaning. Likewise, something cannot be "a little bit unique".

I don't know what you mean by type of mistake, but hopefully you will be able to identify what you are looking from now that I've told you why it's a mistake.

Thanks. I already knew. I could get technical if I wanted to... Because unique is an absolute term, you can't use it with adverbs. Since unique means "one", you can't say " very one".

Capuchin
Apr 24, 2007, 10:32 PM
You already knew but you thought you'd ask anyway? What were you looking for?

Also why did you disagree with me? Would you disagree with George Orwell, one of the greatest writers of our time, as well?

Hunter: Looks like we just found one..

iAMfromHuntersBar
Apr 25, 2007, 12:23 AM
... I could get technical if I wanted to... Since unique means "one", you can't say " very one".

You can say "very one" look;

"Oooh, what a lovely pink dress, it's the very one I was looking for!" :D

hamworld05
Apr 25, 2007, 04:02 PM
You already knew but you thought you'd ask anyways? What were you looking for?

Also why did you disagree with me? Would you disagree with George Orwell, one of the greatest writers of our time, aswell?

Hunter: Looks like we just found one..

I'm not disagreeing with George Orwell, just you. I wanted to test everybody's knowledge. It seems like not a lot of people know. I was looking for the interesting answers I'd get. Did I not say that? " You said so yourself: you cannot use more unique."

Capuchin
Apr 25, 2007, 10:28 PM
Don't worry, I forgive you for saying the idiotic things you did.

Skell
Apr 25, 2007, 10:38 PM
And the Award for Weirdest thread of the month goes to...

Capuchin
Apr 25, 2007, 11:27 PM
:d

hamworld05
Apr 26, 2007, 03:30 PM
You can say "very one" look;

"Oooh, what a lovely pink dress, it's the very one I was looking for!" :D

You could but in this case, one is a noun.

hamworld05
Apr 26, 2007, 03:32 PM
Don't worry, I forgive you for saying the idiotic things you did.

This is funny how?

Skell
Apr 26, 2007, 03:59 PM
This is funny how?

Haven't you ever heard the saying "Its funny cause its true"??

hamworld05
Apr 26, 2007, 04:04 PM
Of course I have! I just don't see how it's idiotic. Apparently, only ONE person knows. Not a lot of people know why " very unique" doesn't make sense.

Capuchin
Apr 26, 2007, 11:29 PM
The only person who doesn't know what's going on is you. You're missing my point entirely.

hamworld05
Apr 27, 2007, 12:12 PM
The only person who doesn't know what's going on is you. You're missing my point entirely.

So, care to explain your point? Oh, yeah, let me remind you: You haven't really answered my question. You told me why " very unique" is a mistake, but I already knew.

iAMfromHuntersBar
Apr 30, 2007, 02:46 AM
So, care to explain your point? Oh, yeah, let me remind you: You haven't really answered my question. You told me why " very unique" is a mistake, but I already knew.

So is your question a trick question then? I'm confused now!

hamworld05
Apr 30, 2007, 02:43 PM
So is your question a trick question then? I'm confused now!

No, I asked what type of mistake unique was.

Capuchin
Apr 30, 2007, 02:55 PM
Comparing an incomparable?

I don't really understand what you mean by type of mistake. Do you have well defined types of mistkes?

hamworld05
Apr 30, 2007, 02:56 PM
Comparing an incomparable?

I don't really understand what you mean by type of mistake. Do you have well defined types of mistkes?

Grammatical mistakes, spelling errors, mistakes in style. Types of mistakes in writing...

Capuchin
Apr 30, 2007, 10:23 PM
I guess it's grammatical.

iAMfromHuntersBar
May 1, 2007, 04:42 AM
Ah right! Sooo, your question in fact is;

"In writing terms, if "unique" was written, what type of mistake would this be?
I think it would class as a mistake in style, what what old chap!"

I think it would class as an oxymoron!

Capuchin
May 1, 2007, 09:35 AM
I don't really think it's a mistake in modern usage. People have been using it for years, and that's how language evolves. Only purists would baulk at it.

hamworld05
May 1, 2007, 02:26 PM
I don't really think it's a mistake in modern usage. People have been using it for years, and that's how language evolves. Only purists would baulk at it.

What about teachers?

Capuchin
May 1, 2007, 02:53 PM
They shouldn't really be bothered by it unless they are purists, I think most dictionaries would note that the absolute sense of unique is becoming rarer.

hamworld05
May 1, 2007, 03:32 PM
They shouldn't really be bothered by it unless they are purists, I think most dictionaries would note that the absolute sense of unique is becoming rarer.

... What's a purist?

Capuchin
May 1, 2007, 03:45 PM
A language purist is someone who wants the language to remain pure and away from the influence of diluting influences.

They often ignore the fact that language is meant to be an ever-evolving process.

hamworld05
May 19, 2007, 07:39 PM
Hmm, nobody's arguing as to why "very unique" is not a mistake.

Capuchin
Jun 5, 2007, 05:58 AM
I thought I was?

hamworld05
Jun 5, 2007, 03:06 PM
I thought i was?

You just said it was a mistake before.