"Greatest" vs. "Worst"

[Alwayswatching]

Hey guys, I came up with a question that I wasn't sure was literary or philosophical so bear with me if it doesn't belong here.

While reading an article about the "...greatest mass murder in history by Mao Zedong..." I was wondering why we use the terms "Worst" and "Greatest" interchangeably? I understand that greatest can mean largest. Some examples I've come up with especially in US media-

"Worst mass shooting in US history"- if the shooter's objective was to kill as many people as possible, why call it the worst? The shooting that resulted in no casualties should be deemed the worst, should it not? According to the objective, it should be best/greatest (best not being in relation to whether it is good or evil) because it had the highest number. Are we too worried to call it "greatest"?

Why, in America, do we refer to outside topics as "Greatest" when they are worse than a movie theater shooting in terms of life lost? Do we value foreigners differently or do we just misunderstand the term "greatest"?

I'd like some opinions on this topic as I cannot figure it out.

Thanks a lot.

Also, the words as they are used in reference to the examples are the topic, not the examples themselves.

[Red Terror]

Yeah ... Mao Tse Tung killed all those people in the same manner Hitler killed his millions --- with the same malice aforethought Hitler employed. Mao set up death camps and crematoria and killed his legions in the style or manner of the Nazis. Sell it somewhere else. If you want to know the truth the greatest mass slaughter of innocents was under British colonial India (Queen Victoria) where 50 million Indians perished by famine. Thank you. Have a nice day!

[Alwayswatching]

Yeah ... Mao Tse Tung killed all those people in the same manner Hitler killed his millions --- with the same malice aforethought Hitler employed. Mao set up death camps and crematoria and killed his legions in the style or manner of the Nazis. Sell it somewhere else. If you want to know the truth the greatest mass slaughter of innocents was under British colonial India (Queen Victoria) where 50 million Indians perished by famine. Thank you. Have a nice day!

That's not even remotely what I asked.

[Pompey Bum]

Heh heh. I like you, Alwayswatching.

To answer your question, it's because greatest can also be used in the sense of biggest.

[Alwayswatching]

Heh heh. I like you, Alwayswatching.

To answer your question, it's because greatest can also be used in the sense of biggest.

Thanks Mr. Rabbit.

So do you think that it is because Americans do not know what "greatest" means, or perhaps that we are in fact super cynical?

[Pompey Bum]

Cynical? I prefer to think of us as excitable, like the boy in the old Warren Zevon song. The media don't help since hysteria boosts ratings and attracts sponsors. I do find it irresponsible, though, when no distinction is made between absolute numbers and rates--especially rates figuring an increasing population in their denominators--so that every adverse event turns out to be the greatest in our history.

[ennison]

We often overdo our superlatives- paucity of vocabulary and lack of historical knowledge. But I feel there is scope for a stand-up comic routine here. The Great Irish Famine would become the Middle-of-the-road Irish famine. Etc.

[Pompey Bum]

We often overdo our superlatives- paucity of vocabulary and lack of historical knowledge. But I feel there is scope for a stand-up comic routine here. The Great Irish Famine would become the Middle-of-the-road Irish famine. Etc.


Alexander the Yeah, Impressive, but How Long Did He Last?

As a side note, I have always found it hilarious that the Roman dictator Sulla wouldn't give Pompey the title of Maximus. He had to settle for Pompeius Magnus--Pompey the Big!

[Red Terror]

I took a couple of years of Latin in high school. "Magnus" also means "great". In French Charlemagne means "Charles the Great."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus




Alexander the Yeah, Impressive, but How Long Did He Last?

As a side note, I have always found it hilarious that the Roman dictator Sulla wouldn't give Pompey the title of Maximus. He had to settle for Pompeius Magnus--Pompey the Big!

[Pompey Bum]

I took a couple of years of Latin in high school.

Yes, that sounds about right.

Maximus is the superlative of magnus. It means "the greatest," but it can also mean "the extremely great." This was the title Pompey wanted. He only got magnus--great in a somewhat lesser sense. And so I have translated it as "the big." The language had lost many such nuances by Charlemagne's time. Now, don't play with things you don't understand.

[Alwayswatching]

... But I feel there is scope for a stand-up comic routine here. The Great Irish Famine would become the Middle-of-the-road Irish famine. Etc.

If George Carlin were still around I could see him doing that.

[Pompey Bum]

Man, was that a Great Plague or what?

[Alwayswatching]

"The Pretty Awesome Depression" of the 1930's.
Peter The "ok I guess"

[Pompey Bum]

Peter The "ok I guess"

As opposed to Catherine the I Heard She's Pretty Good.

[ennison]

The Great War would be the Second-Best War. Mao's Great Leap Forward would be The Slightly Sideways Stagger but the Kim il Dingbat state would still be the Absolutely Best Secular State Ever. Mind you the blurbs of fairly decent books often over-egg the contents with a list of gushing reviews from paid readers.

[desiresjab]

Peter the mighty.

[MANICHAEAN]

Here we go again. Start a topic like this and there is always one bright thing going on about the British Colonial Empire.

To my knowledge, over the course of history the only races the British never had a dust up with were the Siamese & the Eskimos. And then internally the British have had some rather good punch ups in-house.

As for the Empire, look at the benefits: a unifying English language, learning how to play cricket, and tea with the Queen when you join the Commonwealth.

Those were the days my son.
M.

[ennison]

Learning how to play cricket! Silly mid-off cove.

[MANICHAEAN]

Bowl the maiden over old fruit.

[Pompey Bum]

My hovercraft is full of eels.

[Tyrion Cheddar]

We often overdo our superlatives- paucity of vocabulary and lack of historical knowledge. But I feel there is scope for a stand-up comic routine here. The Great Irish Famine would become the Middle-of-the-road Irish famine. Etc.

Boy, did you hit the nail on the head with that point about people overdoing superlatives. Not only is this true, it is absolutely the single most incredible, earth-shattering phenomenon there is. :D I'm sure Catherine the Somewhat would agree.

[Tyrion Cheddar]

Alexander the Yeah, Impressive, but How Long Did He Last?

As a side note, I have always found it hilarious that the Roman dictator Sulla wouldn't give Pompey the title of Maximus. He had to settle for Pompeius Magnus--Pompey the Big!

You think he was unhappy about this, eh? Think of what it did for his social life. After watching one or two adult films, I can tell you that for a man, anything to do with bigness only works in his favor.

[Tyrion Cheddar]

My hovercraft is full of eels.

Quote Python again, PB, and it's passion fruit time for you.

[Pompey Bum]

Quote Python again, PB, and it's passion fruit time for you.

My nipples explode in delight!

[MANICHAEAN]

Oh no, not the comfy chair!!