A Joke For Today / What is the difference (if any) between a la...

Writes High Rev: "Don't know if you print lawyer jokes [Bulletin Board says: Hearing no objection ...], but I read a fairly good one in 'The Night Crew' by Minnesota's own John Sandford, nA John Camp : ...

[PeteEagan]

"Very unique" (or kind of, sort of, or totally unique) is acceptable English. It is most often meant and understood to mean "very nearly unique", which sounds a little too proper for everyday usage.

[Bulletin Board]

PeteEagan wrote:

"Very unique" (or kind of, sort of, or totally unique) is acceptable English. It is most often meant and understood to mean "very nearly unique", which sounds a little too proper for everyday usage.

Acceptable English? Not in our book, it ain't!

[Kimberly]

I would argue strongly with PeteEagan about what people think they are saying when they say "very unique". In my experience, they are trying to say that the subject is not merely unique in some small way but really, really different from anything else. "Very nearly unique", which is acceptable English, means that the subject is part of a very small population of items. It isn't unique, but it is remarkably rare. For example, most people are genetically unique. However, someone with an identical twin is only very nearly unique.

[Bulletin Board]

Well done, Kimberly!