more strict or stricter?

Carter Jefferson   Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:01 am GMT
I can't think of a rule that would preclude the use of either. I suspect I used "more strict" to give the sentence better rhythm. Also, "strict" is one of those words that for some reason sounds complete in itself (to me). Using the comparative seems to me to weaken it. I have absolutely no rationale for this.
Also, some words simply don't sound right in the comparative. Nobody says "beautifuler" except babies or, possibly, someone else just beginning to learn the language. "Stricter" isn't as bad as that to me, but I just don't like the sound.


''stricter'' vs ''more strict'' on google.com

site:us 'more strict' 11.9%
site:ca 'more strict' 9.3%
site:nz 'more strict' 9.1%
site:uk 'more strict' 8.6%
site:au 'more strict' 7.7%
Blanck Bart   Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:14 am GMT
There seems to be a general trend these days towards "more xxxx" rather than "xxxxer".
Struck   Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:38 am GMT
I'm not so sure whether the meaning of 'more strict' is exactly the same as 'stricter'.
I see the difference:
- more strict (than not)
- stricter (than less strict)
Lang   Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:46 pm GMT
The sporadic uncertainties over stricter, vaster, and fonder, as with the more obvious unacceptability of wronger, may defy any simple rule-based explanation. Historically speaking, comparative and superlative inflections are an odd vestige in English, since other types of adjectival inflection (for gender and number) disappeared from the language long ago. Hence we make our acceptability judgments using probabilistic rules of thumb (one syllable: yes; two syllables: maybe, three or more syllables: no), but in general we learn what adjectives we can inflect on a lexical, or word-by-word, basis. In the face of such inexactitude, it's no wonder that the prescriptively minded among us react by laying down the law, even when that law is stricter (more strict?) than reality would dictate.
--

''Yes, truly; I speak not as desiring more, but rather wishing a more strict restraint upon the sisterhood, the votarists of Saint Clare. ''(William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure)
Kendra   Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:50 pm GMT
This movie is more fun.
This movie is funner...

According to the one-syllable rule: wronger and funner are correct,
while more wrong and more fun are incorrect. go figure...
CID   Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:12 pm GMT
<<I can't think of a rule that would preclude the use of either.>>

There is a rough rule: it states that when a word is monosyllabic, or ends in a simple suffix, like -y or -ly, you can opt to use -er, -est: strong/stronger/stronger; healthy; healthier; healthiest; frienldy; friendlier; friendliest, but forms in "more" & "most" can also be used

Otherwise, use "more & "most"

There does seem to be a trend, at least in the US to use -er, -est even with polysyllabic words: "winningest". Thought these are informal and are used humourousl, they may end up becoming quite prevalent in future.
CID   Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:15 pm GMT
<<According to the one-syllable rule: wronger and funner are correct,
while more wrong and more fun are incorrect. go figure... >>

For "fun" this seems to stem from the fact that it is actually a noun and not an adjective:

This is more fun (noun).

Whether this applies to "wrong" is a matter of debate and doesn't always apply:

He was more wrong (adj)

go reckon
CID   Sun Aug 02, 2009 1:43 am GMT
<<while more wrong and more fun are incorrect. go figure>>

Also, concepts like "right" and "wrong" are just not normally used in the comparative to begin with. Confer "right", "righter"/"more right" and "rightest"/"most right"--either way it just sounds unusual because they're just not used this way; not because there take one form over the other.