Big bigger biggest

Someone will correct me if I've misremembered this, but I've a feeling Jane Austen is "guilty" of using youngest when she was only talking about two people. Does anyone else remember noticing this? If she didn't then I puzzled as to why I am thinking this.

Suggestions on a postcard, please.

What I object to is the use of 'big up' which apparently means to exaggerate.

I wondered if there might be an element of doubt about the use of superlatives in general?

I am fed up of hearing things like 'Which of the two is biggest?' or 'I have two sons and Mike is the youngest' etc.

I agree that big and large are pretty well synonymous but the use would depend on the context.

That very silly Sarah Ferguson said Prince Andrew was her 'bestest' friend.
I have had several people say 'more bigger'.....
Pedants of the world unite!

Just to confuse things a bit more - in French, big and large are both 'grand' and wide and broad are both 'large'.

I don't think there's any substantial difference in meaning between big and large. It's just that the former probably comes from Norse and the latter from French.

I actually looked this up on Google (!) and it seems just contextual. Examples given made me laugh! One woman said she could not imagine saying "Hello, large boy" and someone else said clothes do not come in small, medium, big, extra big etc.

Went to clean my teeth and realised that I may have misunderstood your post, susie. Are you asking if the superlative of big is largest? If that is the question, the answer is no. Sorry if I'm barking up the wrong tree. Put it down to teeth-cleaning musings.

What is the difference between big and large? That is a genuine question (i.e. not intended to be sarcastic). I don't think there is any difference but I'm happy to be educated on the subject should anyone be willing to enlighten me.

susiecb I'm not sure quite what you're asking. What sort of things do the presenters describe as biggest, but you think should perhaps be largest?