"Most"

[theinevitable]

So, this is maybe a stupid question, but I am trying to write this paper about the word "most," and, HOW THE HELL DO I WRITE A WHOLE PAPER ABOUT THIS WORD.

I am supposed to specifically focus on one usage of the word, so I am going to use it in the sense of "most of the people" or "most of the time."

My question is this, because I feel like my intuition might be off.

Do you feel like "most" means a simple majority? or does it mean a wider margin than that? I mean, is getting 50.5% of the vote getting "most of the vote?"
I feel like sometimes it varies. It seems like with bigger numbers it means more than a simple majority. I don't need some sort of "this is what it "really" means" answer, i just want your intuition... how do you think you use it in everyday life.

[Asherdan]

"Most" is often used in a sense in which the underlying meaning is implied along the line of "this is the way all right thinking people think and if you want to be part of that group then you should think that way as well." This is the kind of pressure statement in which "most" is often employed. If you want to tie that kind of use of the word into societal norms and the way in which they are reinforced through implied use you ought to be able to squeak a paper out of it.

If you're in a bullshit mood, that is.

[littlefallsmets]

Write the paper about "moist" and claim that you received a typo and I shall owe you a beer.

[Victoria Waterfield]

Just go off on a tangent about five sentences in and use up a good 80 percent or so of the paper discussing the Bob Dylan album Oh Mercy.

[theinevitable]

see, if i could talk about social stuff or anything, I could do this so well.

but it is supposed to be about like, what it means logically. Like, "under what conditions is the sentence "most people ____" true."

Also, the assignment is just to write about a quantifier, it doesn't have to be Most. I just thought most would be a good one.

Coincidentally today, after i picked that topic in desperation, we learned that Most is the one exception to this weird law in semantics.

[Choop]

logics is a branch of philosophy innit

if you can't bullshit your way through a philosophy paper then my name is hefram t. sackle#####

and it ain't

[theinevitable]

I am horrible at philosophy. slightly better at logic.

I think the philosophy at my school must be different than at other people's. or something.
they always tell me that my arguments aren't clear or organized. which is true.
except once when I had a stroke of genius and made an awesome metaphor... that time I did really well. that saved my grade.

but yeah, he basically told us "write me anything, and i will give you a good grade. I don't care."

I just... am not happy with doing that. i feel weird about it. slacking off every day, and never doing any of the reading? sure. turning in a shitty paper? oh no!

[AugustWest]

MOST

[jaydub]

MOST

That's exactly where my mind went, too - followed shortly by a struggle to remember the name of the guy who played Pottsie.

[smick]

His name is Anson, and he developed an ointment for hot flashes.

I heard this on an AM radio interview as I bleary eye'd my way across the country.

[wombat]

Sometimes I don't know what the fuck y'all are talking about and I'm cool with that.

[littlefallsmets]

I'll start you off:

"While John Stamos did not have the MOST evidence in the world that he should be considered one of The Beach Boys, he certainly had more than most people do. He certainly has more than I do."

From there it just writes itself.

[AugustWest]

Wombat, does the name Ralph Malph ring any bells for you?

[smick]

Donny Most and Anson Williams were often the foils to America's Everyteen Richie Cunningham, on television's Happy Days.

Donny... I don't know what became of him.   Anson, developed the aforementioned ointment while working under the hot lights at his day job of filming and directing television.

[wombat]

Wombat, does the name Ralph Malph ring any bells for you?

Nope. Sounds like something you're making up.