revisiting "most un-"

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 9/8/02 7:46:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
dumasb at UTKUX.UTCC.UTK.EDU writes:

> In a workshop this weekend (on a nonlx topic), I heard the ff. sentence
>  quoted; it was attributed to a woman in Mississippi:
>
>  "This is my most unfavorite part of the service." (about "passing the
>  peace" in an Episcopal church service).

"least favorite part of the service" implies "I like all of the service, but
I like X the least"

"most unfavorite" implies "there are parts of the service I don't actually
dislike but which I do not care for, and of those X is the extreme example".

I would have to know more the speaker in question.  Is she someone with a tin
ear for English usage who committed an illiterate usage?  Or is she someone
with a Lewis Carrollesque ear for English usage who was being very subtle and
exact in trying to describe her feelings?

            - Jim Landau

P.S.  Youir use of "ff" for "following" implies that you appreciate novelty
in English usage, which appears to contradict your concern with someone
else's use of the non-standard/innovatinve "most unfavorite".