Re: superlative missuse

Chris Browne <cbbrowne@acm.org> writes:
> clist@uah.es (Angel Alvarez) writes:
>> there is  not so 'more optimal' thing but a simple 'better' thing.

> If I wanted to be pedantic about it, I'd say that the word "nearly" is
> missing.

> That is, it would be "strictly correct" if one instead said "more
> nearly optimal."

This sort of construction is longstanding practice in English anyway.
The most famous example I can think of offhand is in the US
Constitution: "... in order to form a more perfect union ..."

            regards, tom lane