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The phrase "much less"

  • Scarlet_Buckeye
    I realize this is extremely stupid and highly irrelevant to anything in life, but what is the correct terminology/phrase for using "much less"?

    Example:

    I hope my house doesn't burn down, much less someone die.

    or

    I hope no one dies, much less my the house burns down.

    What is the correct way of phrasing "much less"? Do you put the more significant of the matter at the end? Or the beginning?

    Another example:

    I hope I'm able to finish the leg, much less the race.

    Or

    I hope I'm able to finish the race, much less a leg.

    This has always bothered me.
  • gorocks99
    I normally use it by placing the more significant at the beginning, but haven't really thought about it too much before.

    "He couldn't find his wallet, much less his driver's license"
  • justincredible
    gorocks99;905852 wrote:I normally use it by placing the more significant at the beginning, but haven't really thought about it too much before.

    "He couldn't find his wallet, much less his driver's license"
    This is how I would use it.

    "Much less" pointing out the "thing" that is much less important/significant.
  • Heretic
    justincredible;905856 wrote:This is how I would use it.

    "Much less" pointing out the "thing" that is much less important/significant.
    You've heard a lot of "much less, Justin" throughout your life, haven't you?

  • justincredible
    Heretic;905860 wrote:You've heard a lot of "much less, Justin" throughout your life, haven't you?

    More or less.
  • enigmaax
    Scarlet_Buckeye;905839 wrote:I hope I'm able to finish the leg, much less the race.
    "Much less" means to a lesser extent, so this is your best example. You have less of a chance to finish the race than a leg. Or, you might not even be able to accomplish X, so Y is probably completely out of the question.

    Some other examples:
    I can't afford to buy porn, much less rent a hooker.
    Darby doesn't know when a girl wants to bang, much less when to put it in her butt.
  • Scarlet_Buckeye
    gorocks99;905852 wrote:I normally use it by placing the more significant at the beginning, but haven't really thought about it too much before.

    "He couldn't find his wallet, much less his driver's license"
    enigmaax;906220 wrote:"Much less" means to a lesser extent, so this is your best example. You have less of a chance to finish the race than a leg. Or, you might not even be able to accomplish X, so Y is probably completely out of the question.

    Some other examples:
    I can't afford to buy porn, much less rent a hooker.
    Darby doesn't know when a girl wants to bang, much less when to put it in her butt.

    So we have contradictory view points....
  • ernest_t_bass
    enigmaax;906220 wrote:Some other examples:
    I can't afford to buy porn, much less rent a hooker.
    Darby doesn't know when a girl wants to bang, much less when to put it in her butt.
    When I am able to rep again, this will receive reps.
  • Rotinaj
    Im sure CC will come in and sort this all out soon enough. Word on the street is that hes a grammatical wizard.
  • enigmaax
    Scarlet_Buckeye;906434 wrote:So we have contradictory view points....
    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/much+less
  • ernest_t_bass
    Rotinaj;906442 wrote:Word on the street is that hes a grammatical wizard.
    It's "grammarical." DUH!
  • Scarlet_Buckeye
    Reps.
  • thePITman
    The way you are describing "much less" sounds like what I mean when I say "let alone"... "I couldn't score a single point, let alone get a WIN."

    Score a point = easier thing to do that I couldn't do
    Get a win = must do the first (score a point) in order to do the 2nd (win)
  • enigmaax
    thePITman;906888 wrote:The way you are describing "much less" sounds like what I mean when I say "let alone"... "I couldn't score a single point, let alone get a WIN."

    Score a point = easier thing to do that I couldn't do
    Get a win = must do the first (score a point) in order to do the 2nd (win)
    Yes, they are synonyms. "Not to mention" is another.
  • vball10set
    I can't believe someone started a thread about this, much less people responding to it
  • bigkahuna
    ernest_t_bass;906441 wrote:When I am able to rep again, this will receive reps.
    I repped it for you, so you should rep me.
  • Scarlet_Buckeye
    thePITman;906888 wrote:The way you are describing "much less" sounds like what I mean when I say "let alone"... "I couldn't score a single point, let alone get a WIN."

    Score a point = easier thing to do that I couldn't do
    Get a win = must do the first (score a point) in order to do the 2nd (win)
    Reps
  • Scarlet_Buckeye
    vball10set;906952 wrote:I can't believe someone started a thread about this, much less people responding to it
    Reps
  • coyotes22
    vball10set;906952 wrote:I can't believe someone started a thread about this, much less people responding to it
    I lol'd
  • cbus4life
    Very impressed that this turned into an actual serious discussion, well done.