A reader wonders why some speakers write “most everybody” when what theymean is “almost everybody.”
For example:
Most everyone agrees that children benefit from living with two caringparents.
“Most everyone” is commonly heard incolloquial speech but is avoided informal speech and writing because most is a superlative. Most refers to thegreatest part,number, amount, or extent of something:
I have finished most of my chores. Most dogs have tails. That’s the mostawesome songon the album. Almost is used to convey the idea of something nearlycompleted orclose to being finished:
Mr.Henry has almost finished building the bridge. We almost won the game.Almost everyone agrees that children benefit from living with two caringparents.
The objection to “most everyone,” and “most anyone” is that most applies toquantities capable of being separated.
One can say “Most dogs have tails,” but not “Mostdog have tails” or “Mostdog have a tail.” Apart from surgery or mutilation, dog is not divisible.Neither are words like everybody, everyone, all, and any.
The use of most in the following examples is nonstandard because the wordis being used to qualify something that is not divisible:
Incorrect: Most everyone agrees that cheating is bad.
Correct:Almost everyone agrees that cheating is bad.
Incorrect: I think most everybody will agree that summer flies by toofast.
Correct:I think almost everybody will agree that summer flies by toofast.
Incorrect:I feel like most all of my friends are fake.
Correct:I feel like almost all of my friends are fake. If you find yourselfwriting most when what you mean is nearly or approximately, change it toalmost.