[Dixielandjazz] non-jazz {WAS: RE: When Country Meets Dixie}

[Jerry Gordon]

I'll try to polish my prose more carefully in the future. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen G Barbone [mailto:barbonestreet at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2012 7:01 PM
To: Jerry Gordon
Cc: 'DJML'
Subject: Re: non-jazz {WAS: RE: [Dixielandjazz] When Country Meets Dixie}

Dear Don

I gathered that you "meant", that most cannot modify "unique" ala "Most
unique rankles me." But then, coupled with the second part of the sentence
referencing it to jazz the complete sentence made absolutely no sense.
However since your sentence was describing most unique as used in the
original article, regarding "music"  naturally one would expect readers to
misunderstand it. What you might have done  
to eliminate confusion as to meaning was say it like you did later,   
below. That would have been correct english usage.

> "I meant simply that  . . . the expression "most unique" rankles me in 
> and of itself."

After all if you are going to be pedantic fine, but then, do not commit the
same misuse sins of the English language as us lesser folks.

Cheers,
Steve

On Jan 16, 2012, at 6:31 PM, Jerry Gordon wrote:

> Egad, Steve! I've been completely misunderstood, just as Judy Eames 
> predicted. Let me be more explicit:
>
> "Unique" means one of a kind. Something is either unique (i.e., there 
> is nothing else like it) or it is not. There are no degrees of 
> uniqueness. One thing cannot be "more unique" than another, nor can it 
> be more unique than two others, i.e.," most unique."
>
> Having said that, I recognize that many people incorrectly use 
> "unique" as if it means "different." There can be, of course, degrees 
> of difference.
> Language is constantly changing, and some day, unique = different will 
> be accepted as standard usage. Until then, I will continue to tilt at 
> windmills. (Since we're friends, you can call me Don.)
>
> My statement " ... it's got nothing to do with jazz" referred not to 
> any of the musical content of your email; .
>
> Jerry the pedantic washboardist.
>
>
> On Jan 16, 2012, at 1:55 PM, Jerry Gordon wrote:
>
>> "Most unique" rankles me, and it's got nothing to do with jazz.
>
> In answer to Barbone
>
>> Stephen G Barbone Wrote:
>>
>> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] When Country Meets Dixie
>>
>> CAVEAT: The following excerpt from a Press Release may rankle the 
>> "trad purists". Especially the last sentence:
>> "It's the most unique thing that we may hear musically for a long 
>> time."
>
> Dear Jerry:
>
> Why not? Don't the Dukes play jazz?
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
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