(no subject)

[supergee]

Jon Carroll, who might be expected to know better, wants to make the word unique boring and pointless. That is, he insists that either a thing is unique or it isn't, and there are no degrees, no more unique or very unique.

The trouble with that is that everything is unique, if looked at closely enough, and if we want the word to be useful at all, we should consider things being more unique because they are unique in interesting ways. But excuse me, I gotta go poop one or more unique turds.

Comments

[purpletigron]

Then it is important to specify how closely we are looking, and the wider significance of the singular characteristic(s) - which gives us our gradation.

[andrewducker]

"unique" does apply to everything. It _is_ a boring and pointless word.

What they should have asked is _how different from the crowd_ the columnists were, or _how memorable_.

[lavendertook]

In which even Jon Carroll expresses absolutist tendencies.