On farther inspection, you may be right. It just furthers the confusion of the English language, farthermore most people (ie. me) basically just go by their gut as to which is used.

I'm too lazy to do a google search now, but, if memory serves, one denotes a measurable distance and the other a figurative distance. So, he walked farther than any other man. He wouldn't take the argument any further. I believe that's correct.

Same could be said for yams and sweet potatoes, yet they are from two separate plants.

You can further a cause but you can't farther a cause.

>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:
Same could be said for yams and sweet potatoes, yet they are from two separate plants


Yes, but the difference is that words are interchangeable, while there are grammar rules for farther and further. I wouldn't mind if people used further exclusively though, because "he walked further" sounds OK but "farthermore" sounds terrible.

Further just seems to roll off the tongue better.

>> ^jwray:
>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:
Same could be said for yams and sweet potatoes, yet they are from two separate plants

Yes, but the difference is that words are interchangeable, while there are grammar rules for farther and further. I wouldn't mind if people used further exclusively though, because "he walked further" sounds OK but "farthermore" sounds terrible.


I wuz being stoopid.