Quote:
Originally posted by svxter
Uhhhh, Randy, I think penultimate means "next to last". Is that what you mean, really? 
ultimate = last, final
penultimate = next to last
antepenultimate = the next to next to last
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Okay, ultimately, penultimate means "next to last" in the "purest" sense of the word. Yet, much to the chagrin of linguists has been widely used (and is still widely used) as "beyond the ultimate" as witnessed in this article by William Safire in 1981
William Safire (NY Times Bk Rev., 7 June 1981) reported
instances in American newspapers of penultimate
erroneously used to mean 'ultimate, final', as if the
element pen- simply added emphasis to the adjective
ultimate. I have another from the Chicago Sun-Times, 23
Nov. 1988: 'These are the penultimate in quality scarves,'
she said [to a customer]. 'Well, then, show me the better
line,' [the customer cruelly said]. 'This is the better line',
she responded. One can but hope that the word can
maintain its true meaning in the decades ahead. See
penult.
So, considering that you HAD to bring this to the attention of the masses, who, more than likely would not have been privy to the "pure" intent of the word, I must explain, that as an "advertising" writer, I consider it my right and priviledge to continue to "bastardize" the English language as I see fit.
