The idiom worse comes to worst means if the worst possibility should occur. When the idiom originated centuries ago, worst comes to worst was the conventional formulation. Worse comes to worst gradually took over, but in 21st-century writing a third option, worse comes to worse, is gaining ground. Ergo, "worse comes to worst" makes sense. Nevertheless, the Cambridge Dictionary makes an interesting distinction. It points out that "if the worst comes to the worst" is popular in British English, whereas "if worse comes to worst" is more of an American variant.
Q&A “If worse comes to worst” vs "if worst comes to worst" Australian Writers’ Centre blog
Meaning of if worse/worst comes to worst in English if worse/worst comes to worst idiom US (UK if the worst comes to the worst) Add to word list if the situation develops in the most serious or unpleasant way: We should be home when you arrive, but if worst comes to worst, the neighbors have a spare key and will let you into the house. : if the worst possible thing happens If worse comes to worst, you can always ask me for help. Examples of if (the) worse comes to (the) worst in a Sentence idiom (also if worse comes to worst) Add to word list if a bad situation becomes even worse: If the worst comes to the worst, we can ask Dad to send us some more money. (Definition of if the worst comes to the worst from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) Examples of if the worst comes to the worst The idea encapsulated by the original idiom is that of a worst-case scenario brought to life. "Come to" here means "result in" (as in come to nothing), so the phrase describes the worst.
if worst comes to worst Vocabulary
: if the worst possible thing happens If worse comes to worse, you can always ask me for help. Examples of if worse comes to worse in a Sentence Recent Examples on the Web And, if worse comes to worse, what happens to culture, the artists who create it and the audiences who crave and consume it if all our stages once more go silent? The idiom is used to signify a situation that is expected to turn from worse to worst. While worse is comparative, worst is superlative. It is used to signify a worst-case scenario. This is one of the common idioms that are used while talking about something negative going to happen. Definition of worst comes to worst in the Idioms Dictionary. worst comes to worst phrase. What does worst comes to worst expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. A: What is it? Q: I'm not sure if the saying should be, "if worse comes to worst" or, "if worst comes to worst". It's the worst! A: Okay, calm down, we've got this. First up, which one sounds the most logical? Q: I'm not falling for that. If English has taught me anything, it's that the logical sounding one is usually the wrong one.
Worse Comes To Worst Sheet Music Billy Joel Lead Sheet / Fake Book
Meaning The expression 'if worse comes to worst' means that things are bad, but there is a chance they could get worse. It refers to many situations in life. 'If worse comes to worst' means there is a high probability of a bad situation escalating into a huge problem. Worse is what's called the comparative form, basically meaning "more bad." Worst is the superlative form, basically meaning "most bad." Worse is used when making a comparison to only one other thing: Your breath is bad, but mine is worse or The situation was bad and it just got worse.
English [edit] Alternative forms [edit]. the worst comes to the worst (especially UK English), worse comes to worst, bad comes to worst, bad comes to worse, considered incorrect by some: worse comes to worse; Etymology [edit]. Originally in the form "if the worst come to the worst" with the subjunctive "if it come to" in the sense of "if the worst possible outcome should become the worst. 5 Answers Sorted by: 4 According to my copy of Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage (MWCDEU), the idiomatic phrase was first recorded in 1597 as: if the worst comes to the worst And here's an excerpt with some interesting info from MWCDEU:
How to Cope If the Worst Came to the Worst.. YouTube
Definition of if worst comes to worst in the Idioms Dictionary. if worst comes to worst phrase. What does if worst comes to worst expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. The traditional idiom is "if worst comes to worst." The modern variation "worse comes to worst" is a little more logical. "Worse comes to worse" is just a mistake. Back to list of errors BUY THE BOOK!
