Rangers news

[Quizmonster]

Regarding Rangers demotion to the Scottish Third Division today, Dunfermline chairman John Yorkston said, “The vote was 25 to five so I think that was fairly unanimous." You can't be 'fairly' unanimous any more than you can be 'somewhat' of a virgin, can you?

[albaqwerty]

a bit like 'quite unique' either it's unique or not.

[Wharton]

I think you're nearly all there.

[heathfield]

Well, QM, obviously the greater majority voted that way!

[jno]

29-1 might, at a linguistic stretch, be fairly unanimous, if "fairly" can be thought of as meaning "almost" (which it probably does in this case). But 25-5?

[MarkRae]

"fairly unanimous" is impossible - the actual result has no bearing on it...

[owdhamer]

Celtic, Celtic.

[Ellipsis]

Reminds me of one of my favourite Murray Walker quotes:

The lead car is unique, except for the one behind it which is identical.

[beso]

"very first"

[Quizmonster]

Very has been used as an intensifier with words such as first, last, next, best etc since the 1500s, so I don't consider that a mistake as I do with fairly unanimous. Certainly, adding very does not alter the actual meaning of the overall phrase, but the additional emphasis it supplies is acceptable in my view.