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I am pretty sure that 85% of the people on tv do not know what the word "least" means Login/Join 
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Is it just possible that people ( in the olden days) used to say "it's the Most that I could do"

that would be telling the recipient that ,if they could do more they would.

but it would also tell the recipient about their
social or financial standing.





Safety, Situational Awareness and proficiency.



Neck Ties, Hats and ammo brass, Never ,ever touch'em w/o asking first
 
Posts: 55789 | Location: Henry County , Il | Registered: February 10, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Three Generations
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I use that expression as Aeteocles explained it.

In some situations when I wish to inject a little (alleged) humor, I'll add "And never let it be said that I didn't do the least I could do" implying that I made the absolute minimum effort I could, which is the way the OP interprets the idiom.




Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
 
Posts: 15945 | Location: Downeast Maine | Registered: March 10, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by PHPaul:
In some situations when I wish to inject a little (alleged) humor, I'll add "And never let it be said that I didn't do the least I could do" implying that I made the absolute minimum effort I could, which is the way the OP interprets the idiom.


I also try to use that phrase when I get the chance.

There was on old episode of MASH where Margaret says to Hawkeye: The least you could do is help change the tire.

To which Hawkeye replies: Never let it be said I didn't do the least I could do.
 
Posts: 1528 | Location: NV | Registered: July 01, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
On the wrong side of
the Mobius strip
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I have used the phrase “striving for the minimum”.




 
Posts: 4223 | Location: Texas | Registered: April 16, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Comic Relief
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https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate

1: to select by lot and kill every tenth man of;
decimate a regiment
2: to exact a tax of 10 percent from;
poor as a decimated Cavalier — John Dryden
3a: to reduce drastically especially in number;
cholera decimated the population
b: to cause great destruction or harm to;
firebombs decimated the city

"In its extended uses decimate strayed from its "tenth" meaning and nowadays refers to the act of destroying or hurting something in great numbers."
 
Posts: 4830 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: September 28, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Muzzle flash
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quote:
Originally posted by Eponym:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate

1: to select by lot and kill every tenth man of;
decimate a regiment
2: to exact a tax of 10 percent from;
poor as a decimated Cavalier — John Dryden
3a: to reduce drastically especially in number;
cholera decimated the population
b: to cause great destruction or harm to;
firebombs decimated the city

"In its extended uses decimate strayed from its "tenth" meaning and nowadays refers to the act of destroying or hurting something in great numbers."
And that is the fault of uneducated people who don't know what the word actually means. Educated people should not follow their errors.

flashguy




Texan by choice, not accident of birth
 
Posts: 27911 | Location: Dallas, TX | Registered: May 08, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I agree that the use of "least" is correct. What mildly irritates me is using the phrase "I could care less" rather than "I couldn't care less."



 
Posts: 5312 | Location: WI | Registered: July 02, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
delicately calloused
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quote:
Originally posted by BMR:
I agree that the use of "least" is correct. What mildly irritates me is using the phrase "I could care less" rather than "I couldn't care less."


Speaking of this, is it bold faced or bald face lie? /thread drift.



You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
 
Posts: 30411 | Location: Norris Lake, TN | Registered: May 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ammoholic
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quote:
Originally posted by Eponym:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate

1: to select by lot and kill every tenth man of;
decimate a regiment
2: to exact a tax of 10 percent from;
poor as a decimated Cavalier — John Dryden
3a: to reduce drastically especially in number;
cholera decimated the population
b: to cause great destruction or harm to;
firebombs decimated the city

"In its extended uses decimate strayed from its "tenth" meaning and nowadays refers to the act of destroying or hurting something in great numbers."


Correct. Decimate can mean killing/destruction 20% of trees, people, buildings, or whatever. Or it could mean 9% or 17% or even 63%.



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
 
Posts: 21513 | Location: Loudoun County, Virginia | Registered: December 27, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Experienced Slacker
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Deci...it's pretty much right there in the prefix.

However, if we accept Webster as an authority I guess there are other interpretations that we picky few must suffer with.

Fuckers.
 
Posts: 7616 | Registered: May 12, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ammoholic
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quote:
Originally posted by apprentice:
Deci...it's pretty much right there in the prefix.

However, if we accept Webster as an authority I guess there are other interpretations that we picky few must suffer with.

Fuckers.


Same could be said about annihilate.



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
 
Posts: 21513 | Location: Loudoun County, Virginia | Registered: December 27, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Little ray
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quote:
Originally posted by flashguy:
quote:
Originally posted by Eponym:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate

1: to select by lot and kill every tenth man of;
decimate a regiment
2: to exact a tax of 10 percent from;
poor as a decimated Cavalier — John Dryden
3a: to reduce drastically especially in number;
cholera decimated the population
b: to cause great destruction or harm to;
firebombs decimated the city

"In its extended uses decimate strayed from its "tenth" meaning and nowadays refers to the act of destroying or hurting something in great numbers."
And that is the fault of uneducated people who don't know what the word actually means. Educated people should not follow their errors.

flashguy


But a dictionary's job is to be descriptive, not prescriptive.




The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
 
Posts: 53514 | Location: Texas | Registered: February 10, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Muzzle flash
aficionado
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quote:
Originally posted by apprentice:
Deci...it's pretty much right there in the prefix.

However, if we accept Webster as an authority I guess there are other interpretations that we picky few must suffer with.

Fuckers.
I choose not to go along with it.
quote:
Originally posted by jhe888:
But a dictionary's job is to be descriptive, not prescriptive.
Just because a dictionary says that some people erroneously use a word one way does not mean that educated people should follow suit. If enough people use it right, eventually the bad usage might go away.

flashguy




Texan by choice, not accident of birth
 
Posts: 27911 | Location: Dallas, TX | Registered: May 08, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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When Roman soldiers failed their Captains, the Captain would often put them in ranks and kill every tenth one. The enemy was never decimated. It was officers culling their own herd.
 
Posts: 17416 | Location: Lexington, KY | Registered: October 15, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Truth Wins
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My motto: Never let it be said I didn't do the very least I could.


_____________
"I enter a swamp as a sacred place—a sanctum sanctorum. There is the strength—the marrow of Nature." - Henry David Thoreau
 
Posts: 4285 | Location: In The Swamp | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
W07VH5
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My pet peeve in this arena is when people say "we are the penultimate whatever". Penultimate means second from last. It's a big word but if you must use it try to use it correctly. Do they really mean to say "we're not the worst but we're almost there"?
 
Posts: 45854 | Location: Pennsyltucky | Registered: December 05, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
eh-TEE-oh-clez
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quote:
Originally posted by Fredward:
When Roman soldiers failed their Captains, the Captain would often put them in ranks and kill every tenth one. The enemy was never decimated. It was officers culling their own herd.
.

Eh? I thought it was an imperialism strategy. Conquer some barbarians. Let them keep their languages and parts of their religion. Let their local warlords stay in power but subject to a regional governor. Decimate their army as a slap on the wrist to not start shit again, but for the most part letting everyone go home to be productive minions.

I figured the Romans were more merit based. Punish the captains that failed, promote the loyal. Makes no sense to punish at random.
 
Posts: 13069 | Location: Orange County, California | Registered: May 19, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
eh-TEE-oh-clez
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quote:
Originally posted by mark123:
My pet peeve in this arena is when people say "we are the penultimate whatever". Penultimate means second from last. It's a big word but if you must use it try to use it correctly. Do they really mean to say "we're not the worst but we're almost there"?


To be fair, it does mean second from the last. But, it's the second to last in a series, not second to last in rank.

Thus, penultimate doesn't mean almost the worst, it means almost the best--at least in the context of serial comparisons where winning is the final outcome.
 
Posts: 13069 | Location: Orange County, California | Registered: May 19, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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