Unique 1-1-04

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="042d05a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Big Ring Media Team, Inc.</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Big Ring Media Team, Inc."><B>home</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="043d2123.jpg"> <div> Click on this link to return to <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Word Watch by Subject">Word Watch by Subject</A>.</div> <div> Click on this link to go to <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Word Watch by Date">Word Watch by Date</A>.</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Unique 1-1-04</I></div> <div> The feeling is that “unique” is an absolute term and can take no modifier. Nothing is “quite unique” or “very unique” or “somewhat unique.” A thing either is unique or it isn't.</div> <div> There is some debate over this. When “unique” first wormed its way into English around the beginning of the 17th century, it was taken as an absolute. By the middle of the 19th century, the rules had relaxed a bit. Where once “unique” had meant “one-of-a-kind” or “without equal,” it now came to also mean “unusual” and “atypical.” While something cannot be more “one-of-a-kind,” it can be more “unusual.”</div> <div> In addition, as part of a phrase “unique” can be used to compare or modify something. “Joe Jones is fluent in seven languages, which makes him virtually unique among college quarterbacks.” No, we haven't done a study, but we're pretty sure no other college quarterbacks have Mr. Jones's linguistic skill. “Mucktow Manufacturing uses Burst Intensity Laser Emissions in cutting its widgets, which makes them nearly unique in the industry.” Okay, there may be one or two other, smaller manufacturers of widgets using BILE technology, but MM is almost the only one.</div> <div> Still, some sensitivity to usage remains. Our recommendation, and the practice we follow, is to use “unique” to mean only “one-of-a-kind,” and to not modify the term in any way. If we mean to say that something is “sort of unique” or “very unique,” other options exist. Unusual. Uncommon. Rare. Two percent. One in four thousand. Almost unheard of. There's no loss of meaning, and you'll preserve your integrity and credibility with the world's fussbudgets. </div> </td> </tr></table></body>