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What is the difference between mostest and most?

Can they be used interchangeably?

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3  
"Mostest" can only be used to make near rhymes, like "hostess with the mostest". Otherwise, use "most". – David Schwartz Jul 17 '12 at 20:02
..or other rhymes like...erm... "Which of these meats has been processed the mostest?" – Urbycoz Jul 18 '12 at 8:42
3  
...in short, Mostest is a humorous violation of rules of grammar. – SF. Jul 18 '12 at 9:18

closed as general reference by J.R., FumbleFingers, Matt Эллен, Shyam, cornbread ninja 麵包忍者 Jul 18 '12 at 14:21

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3 Answers

up vote 15 down vote accepted

Mostest is not an accepted word, though it is in some dictionaries listed as slang. Most is already in superlative form, so adding -est is redundant and ungrammatical. It was popularized, however, in the saying (intentionally ungrammatical, to convey a sense of crude common sense): "getting thar fustest with the mostest".

However, unless you want to appear illiterate, or crack a questionable pun, you should always use most, never mostest.

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up vote 2 down vote

The only context in which it is acceptable to use the word "mostest" is immediately after the words "I love you the". "Bestest" is also acceptable in this context (and no other).

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Plus the situation in @David Schwartz comment of course... – nico Jul 18 '12 at 7:06
up vote 1 down vote

Mostest sounds silly, like saying betterer or even more betterer. You would (should!) only do this for deliberate comedic effect (as Leigh Francis does in the guise of Keith Lemon). It's certainly out of place in any kind of formal setting.

The correct comparative is more and the correct superlative is most. There's no need to add another -est suffix.

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