[dead]

Again, I will state this fact – which was my only contention. “Evilest” is a word. I was correcting the poster who said, in obvious error, that it wasn’t. I never said it was an eloquent word or that it wasn’t awkward, in fact I said I would use “most evil” myself. Usage of the word evilest can certainly be considered to reflect a bumpkinesque vernacular, though bumpkinesque is not really a word.

But “evilest” IS a word. This is a demonstrable, inarguable fact. It is in the Mirriam-Webster dictionary. Prior to the application of any multipliers, the word will get you a score of 10 in Scrabble.

I never asserted any positive attributes to the word or its usage, only confirmed its existence as a real actual word in the English language. My correction was correct. If you have any other opinions as to its status of the word, you can take them up with the editors of the Mirriam-Webster dictionary, but since this is sort of their area of expertise, I doubt you will win the point with them either.

I have little doubt that you can also find the word in the OED, but you have to pay money to access it online and I do not have a printed version within arm's reach.

[Albion Wilde]

Hey, I’m on your side! Thanks for the spirited defense of your position re “evilest.”