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"one of the only" vs. "one of the few"
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:41 pm
by bbeeton
Since "only" implies uniqueness, "one of the only" doesn't make sense.
What's wrong with "one of the few", which still implies a very small candidate pool?
Or am I just becoming an old fuddy-duddy?
Re: "one of the only" vs. "one of the few"
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 10:23 pm
by Audiendus
We can say: "Elizabeth II was one of (the) only three monarchs in history to reign for 70 years or more". So I think it is OK to drop the "three" and say "one of the only monarchs". "One of the few monarchs" would be too weak.
Re: "one of the only" vs. "one of the few"
Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 1:02 pm
by bbeeton
But "one of only three" is so much more precise and informative ... why not just drop the "the"? Oh, I know, relevance. (Creeps back into fuddy-duddy corner.)