Unlike No Other

Unlike No Other Unlike No Other Unlike No Other By Maeve Maddox I heard a radio announcer say that something was â€Å"unlike no other.† I could tell from the context that he meant the thing he was talking about was unique. As I usually do when I read or hear nonstandard usage in a professional context, I jumped on my search engine to see if anyone else was using it. What I found suggests that many speakers use â€Å"unlike no other† as if it did mean â€Å"one of a kind.† Relationship problem unlike no other? (about a boy who feels his romantic situation is unique) Urban Novel Unlike no Other (reviewer recommending a novel) Trees unlike no other (description of unusual trees) A community unlike no other! (a group of gamers) A show unlike no other (ad for an entertainment program) The expression â€Å"unlike no other† doesn’t mean â€Å"one of a kind.† On the contrary, it means â€Å"like all others.† The prefix un: â€Å"I am not unhappy.† is equivalent to â€Å"I am happy.† Note: A discussion of the two negatives equal a positive rule in English calls for a post of its own. This one focuses on why the expression unlike no other should be avoided. Like means â€Å"having the same characteristics as something else.† Adding the prefix un- to like creates an adjective that means â€Å"dissimilar.† Technically, to say that something is â€Å"unlike no other,† is to say that it is like everything else. To express the thought that something is â€Å"unique† or â€Å"one of a kind,† drop the un- and say that the thing is â€Å"like no other.† For example, Grab a cup of cider and head to Red Arrow Park in beautiful Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a fun, low-key New Years Eve like no other. A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York (book title) Another way to express the thought is to use the phrase â€Å"not like any other.† They proof their dough for 24 hours which allows it to rise and ferment to a flavor not like any other bread available in Brooklyn This is truly a movie not like any other. Apparently the wording â€Å"unlike no other† sounds pleasing to the ears of many speakers, but it is not standard English. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureBest Websites to Learn EnglishEach vs. Both