Conference thebay::joyoflex

    1) I am different from you
    2) I am more different than you are

    Re: .0
    
    Both Fowler and Bernstein have written fairly long essays on 'different
    from vs different than.'  It's certainly worthwhile to read them,
    although their conclusions are not definitive.  'Different from'
    seems in general to be preferred but, depending on who you read
    and how many years ago he was writing, 'different than' also has
    its place.  According to Fowler, 'different _to_' was once the
    preferred form.
    
    Bernie

    Re: .1
    
    >   2) I am more different than you are

    Nit: you are not pairing 'different' with 'then' in this case. 
    Your sentence is a contraction of 'I am more different [from the
    norm] than you are.

    Jeff.

    Aaargh. I have contracted a difference!

    "different than" is American, "different to" is the British equivalent.
    "different from" is the correct form of both.
         
    However, if "correctness" is ruled by usage, then you can say it
    any of those ways (though "different than" sounds odd to British
    ears).
    
    John.

    Re: .5
    
    >"different than" is American, "diffrent to" is the British equivalent.
    
    I've never seen 'different to' used in British books, movies, or
    television shows - at least I don't remember it.  How is it used?
    Do you say "Gaughin's art is different to Cezanne's" or "DEC is
    different to IBM?"  I don't even recall having seen 'different to'
    in 18th or 19th century English novels.  Is my memory that bad?
    Can you give some examples of its use.
                       
    Bernie

    All of your examples, Bernie, sound just right to my ears, that's
    exactly how it's used here. Can you give us the US equivalents?
    
    (I was going to say "Can you Americanise them?" but then I thought
    no, remember where you are!)
    
    Phillip

    I would say "DEC is different than IBM" and, until I read this note
    and Fowler's essay, thought "DEC is different from IBM" to be
    acceptable but somewhat archiac.  I find "DEC is different to IBM"
    very strange sounding.  I suppose I must have seen it, but I don't
    recall - probably the onset of senility.
    
    We do say "DEC is _similar to_ IBM," so, logically, 'different to'
    makes better sense than either 'different than' or 'different from.'
    It is naive, however, to expect the language to be logical, especially
    the Americanized version.
    
    Bernie

    The grammarians prefer 'different from.'  In _Essential English
    Grammar_, Philip Gucker writes:
    
    	Use the preposition _from_ rather than the conjunction _than_
    	after _different_.
    
    	wrong:  This mower is _different than_ the other mowers on the
    	        market today.
    
    	right:  This mower is _different from_ the other mowers on the
    	        market today.  (_mowers_ is the object of the preposition)
    
    	right:  This mower is _more efficient than_ the other mowers
    	        on the market today.  (_mowers_ is the subject in the
                elliptical clause)
    
    	wrong:  The neighborhood seems _different than_ it used to be.
    
    	right:  The neighborhood seems _different from_ what it used
                to be.  (the noun clause _what it used to be_ is the
                object of the preposition)
    
   
     In _English Grammar Simplified_, James Fernald writes:
    
    	The idioms _differ from_ and _different from_ are used to
    	distinguish one thing or person from another: An apple
    	_differs from_ a pear.  John is _different from_ his brother.
    
    Neither recognizes either _different than_ or _different to_ as
    correct.  Both grammarians are probably American, but no information
    is given about either of them.  Gucker's book, however, is also
    published in the United Kingdom by Constable and Company.
    
    Bernie
    

    Re: .8
    
    > We do say "DEC is _similar to_ IBM," so, logically, 'different to'
    > makes better sense than either 'different than' or 'different from.'

    I don't have any problem with this one. "Similar" implies convergence,
    hence 'to'.  "Different" implies divergence, hence 'from'.
    
    Jeff.

    Re: .10
    
    > I don't have any problem with this one.  "Similar" implies
    > convergence, hence 'to'.  "Different" implies divergence, hence
    > from.
    
    Good point.  And your analysis is probably right about the reason
    for these forms.  
    
    Consider this, however: 'to' in the sence of convergence; that is,
    'to' meaning 'in the direction of' or 'towards' does not seem to
    be the sense in "similar to" - we don't say "DEC is similar _towards_
    IBM."  'To' meaning 'in respect of' or 'as concerns' does seem to
    be the sense in both "similar to" and "different to" - we do seem
    to be saying "DEC is similar _as concerns_ IBM" and "DEC is different
    _as concerns_ IBM."  That's what I meant by 'similar to' and 'different
    to' making sense logically.
    
    Bernie
                                                                 

    I had always understood that "Different to" was a contraction of
    the phrase "different compared to".
    
    i.e.  Apple juice tastes different, compared to orange juice.
    
    I still cringe when I hear "different than", having been drilled
    with "different from" and "more or less than".
        
    My 9 months late 2 � worth.
       
       stuart

    I've never heard (or seen) "different to"; I hear "different than"
    a lot, but it doesn't sound right.  I'm glad the "authorities" seem
    to prefer "different from", as that's what sounds best to me and
    it's what I always use.
    
    But this is all just an excuse for the title.
    
    len.
    

    No no no . It's 'apple juice tastes different *with* orange juice'.
    
    It's all about contexts .
    
    John J
    

    I should think that apple juice would taste different (mixed) with
    orange juice !   It's not context, it's contents !
    
    (- stuart -)

    > This has probably been asked before (apologies, if so), but what
    > is the difference in usage between "different from" and "different
    > than"?
    
    Same difference.

    Re .9
    
    > Gucker's book, however, is also
    > published in the United Kingdom by Constable and Company.
                                         ---------------------
    
    Aren't they they grammar police?