Choicest versus most choicest?

[Pavelsky]

Dear teacher,

My friend and I have a keen discussion if it is correct to use expression “most choicest”. To me, choicest is the highest grade of quality (similarly when something is the highest it can not be higher by using words “most highest”). My friend is suggesting that “most choicest” may be a kind of exception because “choicest” is often used not only in the meaning of the highest grade, showing me some examples from the Internet (by the way, mostly Indian sites). Thank you for your answer (none of us is native speaker).

Pavel

 

[Mr_Ben]

"Choice" is most often used as a noun, it is only used as an adjective rarely. Even then, "choicest" would be the better choice of the two, you can only use "most" if the adjective cannot be amended with -est. You can't correctly use both.

 

[BobK]

Rarely, in the general population. but in people with something fresh[ish] to sell (especially greengrocers) it's quite well used! In my schooldays I worked for a greengrocer whose strawberries were nearly always 'choice'. (His mushrooms were 'fresh as the day'.;-))

b

 

[Mr_Ben]

The only example I could think of was "choicest cuts of meat."

 

[BobK]

Yes. Fresh food is a common collocation.

b

 

[BobK]

Incidentally, the mention of Indian sites in the OP is probably right. I think I heard 'most choicest' in Slumdog Millionaire or The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

b

 

[Tdol]

Most choicest would be considered non-standard or wrong in a number of variants of English, so I would avoid it. Like Mr_Ben, choicest collocates with cuts of meat for me.

 

[5jj]

Like Mr_Ben, choicest collocates with cuts of meat for me.

Mr_Ben and choicest collocate with cuts of meat for you?

Have you considered seeing someone about this?

 

[Grumpy]

Goes well with fava beans and a nice Chianti, I find....