Grammar Nazi's of OcUK, your help is needed. "Most vs. Almost".

Eddie182

Eddie182

Eddie182

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I'm positive that the following sentence is incorrect.

"Most every switch, dial and button in the..."

In my opinion it should be ""Almost every switch, dial and button in the...", however the American responsible for writing it is adamant that the use of "most" is correct. If I am correct I need black and white proof, opinion won't cut it.

So can any of you guys provide a good reference to demonstrate that the use of "most" is incorrect? Or am I wrong?
 
Most means something different to Almost...have you got the entire sentence or paragraph?

The problem is some American's use Most colloquially, which complicates the issue somewhat.

Informally you can say for example: Most everyone agrees instead of the more formal: Almost everyone agrees

With the sentence fragment you have given the construction of the sentence make the use of most sound strange, and it would almost certainly scan better if most was replaced with almost.
 
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Your proof is that what he's saying simply doesn't make sense. Ask him to define "most" and "almost" and I reckon you'll be on to a winner.

Americans also say "I went out and did a couple things today. Yeah I bought a couple CDs."

It makes my blood boil.
 
It is incorrect usage of "most".
Most is always used before a noun, such as
Most people
Most mothers
Most children.
"Most" is an adjective while almost is a adverb of degree Info
So almost should be used in this context.
 
Almost is correct, unless he happens to be writing poetry or it's written from the point of character who can play the colloquial card.

To use "most" it would need to be "most of the switches..."

It depends what the writer is going for, "most of" means the majority, "almost all of" means all but a few.
 
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Well so far you've all said exactly my thoughts, the problem however is that I have already said those things and was presented with the following website as proof that the sentence was correct.

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/13017/most-every-and-almost-every

The full sentence is, "Most every switch, dial and button in the A-10C cockpit is controllable and allows you to operate the aircraft just as a real A-10C pilot would".

I really need something indisputable, such as a trustworthy website I can send the author to. I suspect the entire UK population stating that it's wrong wouldn't help. Otherwise I'll just have to concede.
 
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It's an Americanism, and as you said, he's American.

So, no he's not "wrong".

Dictionary.com:

11. The adverb most, a shortened form of almost, is far from being either a recent development or an Americanism. It goes back to the 16th century in England, where it is now principally a dialect form.
Click to expand...

However, it is an American English thing these days.
 
I am most tired, I am most hungry. Valid in my opinion, although definitely sounding rather 'olde' world.
 
Hxc said:
I am most tired, I am most hungry. Valid in my opinion, although definitely sounding rather 'olde' world.
Click to expand...

You see that to me says "I am very tired, I am very hungry." It's like when you say "most definitely", it doesn't mean "maybe" it means "VERY DEFINITELY".

Words. Life. Fact.
 
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