I suspect many people will be discussing the latest Santorum quote: "I think that could be a very compromising situation, where people naturally may do things that may not be in the interest of the mission because of other types of emotions that are involved. It already happens, of course, with the camaraderie of men in combat, but I think it would be even more unique if women were in combat.”
I'll leave it to others to attack the main issue. For me, the glaring part was "even more unique." As anyone who works with words could tell you, it is bad form to modify a superlative. True, we have fallen into the habit of using phrases such as "very best," but "unique" is special, not just because it is a superlative, but because it is the superlative that most grammar weenies wait to pounce upon when modified. It is, in essence, one of the "gotchas." Or, to go meta and describe in by way of another pet term of grammar lovers, it is a shibboleth. Even the more-permissive grammarians, who might allow "more unique," would probably blanch at "even more unique."
By the way, I'm fully aware that any post about grammar will have at least one glaring error. Say lah vee.
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A tongue-in-cheek look at writing, publishing, and whatever else comes to mind.
By: David Lubar,
on 2/10/2012
Blog: Gadfly in the Ointment (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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A tongue-in-cheek look at writing, publishing, and whatever else comes to mind.
By: David Lubar,
on 2/10/2012
Blog: Gadfly in the Ointment (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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