Qualifiable favorite?

[sagehen]

Peter says:
>I use "least favorite" in exactly the way Mark does.  I don't think I use
>"most favorite," but I can IMAGINE using it, whereas I can't imagine a
>possible use for "more favorite."  This indicates to me that "most
>favorite" would actually be an intensifier ("Wow--is that ever my
>favorite!!!") rather than an authentic grader.
 ~~~~~~
  I shall try to think of "least favorite" as being like the Least Shrew:
the smallest of its class, not the one having the least shrewishness.
Peter's reluctance to allow "more favorite" I think reflects the same
general attitude as mine about the meaning of /favorite./  It's not a
matter of superlativeness or singularity, it's  just either on or off.
There may be a lot of ONs..they can be ranked. But in the case of what most
people mean when they say "least favorite, " I suspect it's really OFF.

BTW I accept arnold's implication of dinosaurishness on my part. Birds
_are_ sort of dinosaurs with feathers.  I hope I'm adaptable enough to
survive for a little longer.
sagehen aka AM

A&M Murie
N. Bangor NY
sagehen at westelcom.com