I have seen one sentence –
But it was by far and wide the most expensive.
I know what "far and wide" means, but the meaning from the dictionary doesn't seem to fit here. Rather it seems "by far and away" would be the best fit here for this example sentence. Or even "by far" would be good.
Just want to know "by far and wide" means "by far and away"? Or does it mean something else in this sentence?
Best Answer
"By far and wide" is simply an inappropriate mixture of "by far" and "far and wide".
The speaker or writer has gaffed, or has picked up the usage from someone.
"By far" is used to express a degree to which something is superlative. If something is by far the best, it means that the distance between that thing and the second best one is conceptually far.
"Far and wide" is an common phrase which refers to a conceptual or physical two dimensional area (which has width and depth).
"By far and wide the best" makes no sense, because comparisons are arranged on a conceptually linear scale, not a two dimensional scale.
I would recommend new learners of English not to use this: keep "by far" and "far and wide" separate.